


LoveSick

by notthetoothfairy



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Klaine Advent Drabble Challenge 2017, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-01 06:10:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 20,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13288653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notthetoothfairy/pseuds/notthetoothfairy
Summary: Kurt has SCID and can’t leave his house. Ever. Luckily, Blaine moves in next door.





	1. Attachment

**Author's Note:**

> This is my comeback after an eternity of not-writing. I just couldn't resist all the great prompts for Klaine Advent! I know I'm submitting every single one of these late but life got in the way and I worked hard to get caught up by early January, so this is as good as finished (three more chapters to be posted next week).
> 
> The plot is loosely based on “Everything Everything”. Saw it on the plane, didn’t end up liking it all that much but I loooved the premise for Klaine, so here it is. :D It’s not all that realistic, medically speaking - sorry about that. I tried to make it as accurate as possible, though, and I hope that pays off.
> 
> Beta'ed by my fandom wife a-simple-rainbow. ♥

“Kurt, I’m home, bud!”

“Hi dad!” Kurt shouts from his bed, where he is doing homework on his laptop. “I’ll be down in a sec!” He’s only seconds away from completing his first fashion design assignment, so he spends another two minutes perfecting and submitting it before going to greet his dad.

“Hey, you,” his dad says fondly, already dressed in fumigated clothing, the light blue matching Kurt’s clothes. Kurt longingly thinks of the dark red cardigan he just designed for the online class. Maybe he can talk his dad into designing his own clothes one day. Kurt knows he’ll fuss but as long as Carole helps sterilizing the fabrics to make them safe to use for Kurt, maybe his dad will actually agree.

Sometimes Kurt hates his condition. He knows it could be worse but… it just gets in the way so much. He would love to go to New York City and study fashion design or possibly even musical theatre but he knows it’s impossible. He’ll be stuck in Lima, Ohio, forever, and not just like any other teenager. He’ll actually be stuck in this exact neighborhood, in this exact street, in this exact _house_ – forever. After all, he has SCID: severe combined immunodeficiency.

SCID prevents him from going outside, from going anywhere, basically. His immune system is so weak that he’ll get fatally ill from almost any bacterial, viral or fungal infection. “Anything can kill me,” is what he tells people who don’t understand right away. Not that he meets people often.

There’s his dad, there’s Carole, his dad’s girlfriend who is a nurse from the hospital that treats Kurt, his sort-of step-brother Finn, who Kurt rarely ever sees, and there’s his best friend Rachel, who has the same disease but lives far away in New York. They skype regularly.

Needless to say that he feels a great attachment to the few people in his life. When you depend on others to even be alive every day for the short 17 years of your life, you don’t let go easily.

Kurt thinks he knows this well, but he has to reconsider everything he knows when he meets Blaine.


	2. Bucket

Blaine has barely spoken a word the entire car ride. His parents’ attention is mostly focused on his brother Cooper, who is there for the weekend to help them move into the new house in Lima.

Blaine doesn’t want to move to Lima. He didn’t like Westerville all that much but at least he had friends. Friends that will now go to Dalton Academy, whereas he will be stuck at McKinley High. A school that doesn’t embrace zero harassment policies as much as Dalton does.

He sighs, wishing he was older and free to go wherever he wants. He feels like a fish in a bucket, walls left and right and everywhere, dark and lukewarm water surrounding him.

He doesn’t know yet that meeting Kurt will change his perspective forever.


	3. Collapse

Kurt is ready to collapse onto his bed, more tired but also happier than he’s felt in weeks. His parents finally agreed to let him have a sewing machine, and he’s working on his third shirt of the day when he decides to stop for the night. Something makes him linger at his window, though, a movement he catches out of the corner of his eye as he puts the fabric aside.

A car is pulling into the driveway of the house next to theirs. It’s been empty for a while now, and Kurt had no idea new neighbors were coming. He never actually meets anyone in the neighborhood but he likes to imagine going over to their doors, introducing himself and seeing a different interior design, a different family, a different life.

He wonders for a second who the people moving in are going to be. Wouldn’t it be cool if it turned out Rachel was here to surprise him? If she moved in next to him with her two dads and the occasional visit from her biological mom? If she’d move into the bedroom across from his big glass window so that they could actually see each other for real and not just on the computer screen?

Of course, they don’t turn out to be Rachel’s family. Instead, Kurt spots a handsome, middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair who’s smiling at a woman Kurt presumes to be his wife who beams up at the house as she steps out of the car. Kurt can see her say something to the man before turning to the car and urging someone else to step out. Both back doors open at the same time, and two boys step out. The one closer to the house is a bit older, perhaps in his twenties, charming smile and clearly aware of it. The one closer to Kurt’s view seems to be his age, approximately, looking quite put-together and not at all like Kurt usually imagines boys his age to be (at least none of the others he sees around sometimes wear bowties), even though his bored face betrays the rest of his appearance.

Kurt wonders what has gotten him so cross, if it’s maybe the way his brother – at least that’s what Kurt thinks is the relation, they do look like brothers – is obviously the center of attention.

Kurt giggles to himself as the older brother opens his arms to lead both his mother and father to the front door of the house, chatting away, leaving the younger brother to roll his eyes and close the car door his brother has left wide open. However, the giggle dies in Kurt’s throat when suddenly the boy looks up from the car to Kurt’s window, and catches Kurt watching him.

The boy’s brows furrow, changing his expression from bored to something more confused. Kurt imagines it might be the huge glass windows all over the house. His dad wanted him to see as much of the outside as possible, something Kurt was quite happy about even though he’d prefer a New York skyline and not a small-town neighborhood, but most neighbors do a double take the first time they see it. As far as Kurt is concerned, not really having the outside perspective, their house looks different from others in the area.

The boy’s sudden attention makes Kurt feel awkward, so he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and waves shyly to diffuse the tension.

Surprised, the boy smiles a little and waves back. He actually has a nice smile, just like everyone in his family apparently, and Kurt can’t help but smile back. He’s unsure what to do next, it’s not like he can introduce himself from far away, but he doesn’t get a chance to do so anyway. The boy’s head suddenly shoots up in the direction of the front door and with one last glance to Kurt’s window, he heads into the house to join his family.

Kurt ends up watching the driveway for another few minutes, any thought of collapsing onto the bed forgotten. He feels wide awake again.


	4. Drink

At least the house is nice, Blaine thinks as they unpack. It’s newly renovated and Cooper has big plans for Blaine’s bedroom, apparently. His brother seems to have gotten enough attention from their parents for the day that he feels content just helping Blaine set up his furniture, even if he does keep talking about how great L.A. is. Blaine still feels himself cheer up at his stories.

“Anyway, we should break out some wine.”

Blaine rolls his eyes. “You know I’m not allowed to drink.”

“Not for you, dummy.” Cooper laughs. “The neighbors. Mom asked me to go around and meet everyone.”

Blaine scrunches up his nose. “With wine? Doesn’t that scream party neighbors?”

“Oh god, Blaine, you’re funny.” Cooper chuckles again. “First, she didn’t have time to bake something, what with the move. Second, wine isn’t just booze. It’s… more sophisticated… sexy even.” Cooper strikes a pose that he clearly thinks is sexy.

“Well, sexy neighbors isn’t better, is it?” Blaine deadpans, elbowing his brother as he goes to unpack another box. “Anyway, why would she want _you_ to go around? You’re not going to live here for most of the time.”

“Clearly she thinks I’ll make the longer-lasting impression,” Cooper jokes. “Plus, she probably wouldn’t want her 17-year-old going around giving out drinks to strangers.”

“Can I at least come with you, though?” Blaine asks. He tries to pretend he doesn’t have an agenda before he remembers that Cooper doesn’t even know about the boy he saw in the other house, the one that looks slightly out of place with all the huge windows, but weirdly intriguing nonetheless. “I’m bored out of my mind already without my friends.”

Cooper shrugs. “Sure. Just don’t hold the wine and let me do the talking.”

Half an hour later, they have made the rounds around most of the houses except the one Blaine is dying to visit. They have one bottle of wine left – and Blaine tugs it out of Cooper’s arms impatiently because he’s too busy checking his phone to keep walking.

“Hey, Blaine, don’t run away with that, what will I tell mom?”

“Come on, Coop.”

“Man, you’re in a hurry all of a sudden.”

“Whatever, let’s go.” Blaine hesitates in front of the door. The house looks different from up close, less stylish, more artificial somehow. The doorbell reads, “Hummel.”

Cooper rings it unceremoniously. “Gotta ring the bell if you want to introduce yourself, squirt.”

“Don’t call me that,” Blaine mumbles. Maybe it was a bad idea to do this with Cooper after all.

He thinks the whole thing was most definitely a bad idea when a grumpy-looking man opens the door. Is that the boy’s father…?

“Yeah?” he grunts.

“Uh, hi-” Blaine stammers, but Cooper interrupts.

“Cooper Anderson, this is my brother Blaine, our family just moved in next door and we wanted to introduce ourselves with some-”

“Burt Hummel, nice to meet you,” the man interrupts. Blaine notices that he doesn’t reach out his hand to shake theirs like the other neighbors have. “But I can’t accept that.”

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s not _that_ expensive, I mean, it’s nice wine, don’t get me wrong, but it’s-”

“No, I mean, we can’t have…” The man clears his throat. “We don’t drink.”

“Oh, well, in that case…” Cooper looks unsure. Thus far nobody refused.

“We’re sorry about the wine, sir,” Blaine cuts in quickly, remembering his manners, and before he can stop himself, he asks, “and who is ‘we’?”

Burt Hummel frowns. “What?”

“Oh, you said ‘we’ and we were hoping to meet everyone, so…”

“Me and my son,” Burt says curtly. “He’s asleep, though. You might see him around.”

Blaine almost says “I have,” but he bites his tongue just in time.

“Oh, uhm, sorry, yeah,” he gets out instead, eyes widening at the way Burt Hummel is squinting at him, clearly trying to get him to stop asking questions.

“That all?”

“Yes, sir,” Cooper and Blaine say in unison, and the door closes.

Cooper looks a bit dumbfounded. “Well, that, uh… that was intense.” He scratches a spot behind his ear. “Give me that wine, I need a drink.”

As they walk back to their house, Cooper a bit ahead of him taking swigs of the wine, Blaine keeps looking over to the window he saw the boy at earlier. The lights are off, indeed, but just as Blaine tears his gaze away, they turn on and the boy appears in the same spot again.

“Oh,” Blaine says softly. He waves again, and the boy waves back, bottom lip trapped behind his teeth, but a little smile escaping anyway.

Blaine didn’t have any wine but he feels a little drunk anyway.


	5. Example

Days pass and it becomes routine. Kurt pays close attention to his window in the early morning when his neighbors’ son leaves for school and in the afternoon or evening when he comes back. Each time, they smile and wave. Nothing else happens, and how can it?

Kurt is well aware that the boy’s bedroom is right across from his, where he imagined Rachel would have her bedroom if she moved in there. The boy’s not Rachel, obviously, but Kurt does feel the urge to communicate sometimes. He tries to not purposely observe the guy – that would be creepy – but he does hear music from over there sometimes, possibly someone singing along, and Kurt swears sometimes he thinks it might be musical theatre. He considers telling Rachel about this new development but there’s nothing to tell really and he feels weird even acknowledging his weird obsession with someone he doesn’t even know to himself.

But then, one morning, a Wednesday, Kurt doesn’t see him going to school. Confused, Kurt almost turns away from the window, but a movement from the window next door catches his eye.

There is his neighbor, waving like always, just not from the driveway. Not that Kurt lets himself look over, he realizes how close their bedrooms really are, how he can see the other face much clearer from up there than down from the ground.

He waves back, blinking a bit too quickly to look sure of himself, but he figures the boy made contact first so it’s his cue to carry the conversation, or whatever it is they’re having.

“How are you?” the boy clearly asks – Kurt’s lip-reading is good enough for that.

Kurt shrugs. “Not too bad. You?” He pauses. “Are you sick?”

The boy shakes his head and says something but it’s too quick this time. Kurt raises his eyebrows and asks, “What?”

The boy frowns for a second before holding up a finger. “Wait,” he tells Kurt, and turns his back to the window to retrieve something from his desk. When he comes back, he reveals pen and paper. He scribbles something quickly and then holds it up to the window for Kurt to see.

NO, SCHOOL’S CLOSED TODAY BECAUSE OF THE HEAT.

He points to the sun for illustration.

Kurt nods in understanding. He wouldn’t know of the heat, his room is perfectly cool.

The boy writes something else.

AND THEY SAY CLIMATE CHANGE ISN’T REAL. CLEARLY THEY’RE WRONG. IT’S OCTOBER.

Kurt laughs, intrigued what else the boy is going to come up with. But first, maybe he should try finding out his name. He points to himself.

“Kurt,” he says, as slowly as possible.

The boy looks surprised, motions for Kurt to repeat and then mouths along with Kurt when he does.

KIRK? He writes.

Kurt shudders. “Ew, no,” he says, making his neighbor laugh. He looks around for something to write on.

KURT, he corrects finally.

NICE TO MEET YOU, KURT. MY NAME’S BLAINE, is the reply.

Blaine. Good to have a name to the face. Kurt tells him so, and is rewarded with a big smile, but then Blaine stops writing, just looking at Kurt, and Kurt scrambles to find something else to write, hopefully something that will make Blaine laugh again.

SO… ARE YOU A TAYLOR SWIFT FAN BY ANY CHANCE?

It’s probably a bit much to assume Blaine would have seen the exact video he’d need to understand the reference but sure enough, he ducks his head with a dimpled laugh, and Kurt puts down his paper with a pleased grin.

SURE AM BUT THAT’S NOT WHY I’M DOING THIS.

Kurt gulps.

RIGHT SORRY THAT WAS PROBABLY WEIRD I DIDN’T THINK YOU WERE HITTING ON ME OR ANYTHING I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY YOU CHOSE TO COMMUNICATE THIS WAY

It’s a rambly mess of words but he needs it to be out there quick. Blaine thankfully shakes his head quickly. Phew. So he knows Kurt’s not jumping to conclusions.

NO, I JUST MEANT THE THOUGHT HADN’T CROSSED MY MIND, I JUST WANTED TO TALK TO YOU. NO REASON TO APOLOGIZE, NO WORRIES!

Kurt lets out a breath of relief. He holds up his paper sheepishly.

OH, GOOD.

MAYBE YOU’RE RIGHT, THOUGH, IT’S A FUNNY WAY OF COMMUNICATING.

DEFINITELY. :D

Blaine bites his lip as he writes his next part. Kurt waits patiently.

MAYBE THERE’S ANOTHER WAY?

Kurt raises an eyebrow and holds up his reply as soon as he’s done writing it.

… FOR EXAMPLE?

He expects Blaine to take more time to write out his thoughts but he’s done in a flash and shows Kurt the result with a bit of a nervous smile.

It’s a phone number.


	6. Fraction

It doesn’t take long for Kurt to text him, and they’re an hour into random conversations about this and that when Blaine dares to ask what’s been on his mind a lot.

_So, you never actually seem to leave the house, and I’ve been meaning to ask… are you on medical leave or something? – B_

Kurt shoots him a worried look from his window, confirming Blaine’s suspicion that there is something more complicated behind the whole story. It looks as if Kurt is going to text something but then he looks up and over his shoulder, and Blaine sees him shout something. He turns back to Blaine, waving quickly to tell him goodbye, and leaves the room.

For the fraction of a second, Blaine thinks Kurt made the whole thing up to escape the question but then he receives a text.

_Sorry brb! – K_

Five minutes later, Kurt doesn’t come back to his room but there’s another message.

_Sorry, that was my dad. Friday night dinner. It’s a big deal in our family. I promise I’ll tell you, just not right now. – K_

_You don’t have to. – B_

_No, it’s okay, I promise. Some other time, though. – K_

_Of course. Whenever you like. – B_

Blaine shoots the empty room across his a worried look before deciding to clear his mind and do some homework.


	7. Genuine

Despite promising Blaine to tell him about his condition, Kurt finds it hard to initiate conversation about it and Blaine doesn’t ask again, probably scared that Kurt is going to feel interrogated. The truth is, Kurt wants Blaine to know, but he is scared to do it via text. He doesn’t want to sound like a complete freak or basket case, and he genuinely wants Blaine to understand but for that, a text will just not be enough. He can’t muster up the courage to actually call Blaine, though, and so days go by without either of them mentioning it again.

They learn other things about each other, though. Blaine tells Kurt he’s from Westerville. His friends all go to Dalton Academy, a private boarding school in the area. Blaine wanted to join the Warblers, their Glee Club, but now that he’s at McKinley, he’s going to audition for the New Directions instead. Kurt tells Blaine he’s just started designing and that he hopes to move to New York when he’s older. They both love musicals and trash reality TV and they spend a whole night just debating which show they’d choose if they had to just watch one for the rest of their lives. Kurt chooses Project Runway, Blaine goes with RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Over the span of a week, Kurt feels the early intrigue and inexplicable obsession shift to something more genuine, more real. He and Blaine are becoming friends, and he’s getting anxious about the question that is still left unanswered, the question that Blaine surely hasn’t forgotten either.

_Blaine_ , Kurt just texts one afternoon when he’s done with his classes. His dad’s at work and Carole has gone to pick up Finn from football, so he’s alone and ready to initiate conversation.

Blaine looks up from where he’s sitting at his piano, probably practicing something for Glee. He spins around on his piano stool, already texting.

_Kurt?_ He tilts his head as Kurt reads the text.

Kurt smiles. Blaine is very attentive whenever they text, despite normal texting not requiring face-to-face interaction.

_Remember what you asked me the other day? – K_

Blaine suddenly looks very serious.

_Yes, of course. Do you want to talk about it? – B_

_Yes,_ Kurt confirms. _But I’ll be typing for hours if I just write it. So… can I call maybe?_

Blaine gets up and moves closer to Kurt, ending up seated on his window sill, phone in his lap.

He nods, and Kurt presses the call button.


	8. Health

Blaine was expecting many things while trying not to expect anything at all. His mind wandered, of course, from long-term colds to fatal illnesses, but he did not expect Kurt to say, “Ever heard of bubble baby disease?”

His first reaction was complete disbelief but Kurt urged him to google David Vetter, to look up SCID on various medical pages and explained to Blaine how the lack of white blood cells in his body left him unprotected against infections and made it likely for him to die from just the smallest outside contact.

It takes Blaine a few minutes to process before he realizes he’s leaving all of the conversation to Kurt, and he shakes himself out of it. It’s not that he doesn’t believe Kurt – it’s just that he never even knew that was a thing. Kurt, over in his room, shrugs.

“Most people wouldn’t know about it,” he says. “It’s not like you see people like me out on the streets, right?”

“You really can’t leave your house?” Blaine asks, trying to wrap his head around it. “At all?!”

“Well, I _could_ … but there’s a very high chance I’ll get sick and die. So, that’s a no. Especially from my dad.”

Blaine runs a hand through his hair, not breaking eye contact. “Kurt…”

“No, don’t.” Kurt groans. “Please do not give me the pity thing. I hate when people pity me.”

“I wasn’t-”

“Yes, you were.”

“I don’t think I was.” Blaine pauses, thinks about it. “Maybe a little?” He remembers feeling so trapped when he came to Lima, basically throwing himself a pity-party when he met Kurt, never even realizing that he was free to go so many places. “I was just kind of thinking how different our perspectives must be. I can’t imagine- what about New York?”

Kurt rolls his eyes. “Obviously that’s a far-away dream. My friend lives there. Rachel. I told you about Rachel, right?”

“Yeah.”

“She has it, too.”

“She does? Wow.”

“I guess what I’m saying is – Rachel and I, we live our lives as well as we can, and we have stuff we’re interested in, we have personalities... our health isn’t everything. It’s not like I don’t have anything else going on in my life, you know?”

“I never wanted to imply that you don’t, Kurt,” Blaine stresses. “I get it. You have your classes, your dreams, your friends...” Kurt smiles at him. “But… still… I’d like you to be able to go outside. I’m not saying that out of pity, I promise. And I’ll read more about SCID so that I know what I’m talking about. I don’t want to ask anything stupid.”

“Honestly, you’re doing far better than most people I’ve talked to. Small number but you’re still top of the list.”

Blaine manages a laugh, even though he doesn’t really feel like laughing given the situation.

“And I don’t mind answering questions,” Kurt adds. “So if there’s anything you want to know…” He opens his arms in invitation. Blaine watches him, wishing he could step in and hug Kurt.

So he can’t really help himself when he asks, “Is there a way for you to get better?”

“Bone-marrow transplant,” Kurt explains. “Trying to find a donor is hard, though. I’m lucky to have been alive this long, to be honest.” He shrugs again.

“Does it take this long?”

“Not always, just with the more complicated cases. It has to be a very close match.”

“What about your family?” Blaine asks.

Kurt makes a face. Blaine instantly regrets he even asked but he’s not fast enough to tell Kurt he doesn’t have to tell him anything.

“Well, it’s depressing but I’ll make it short: I’m an only child, so no possible donors there. Parents are less common matches. My dad isn’t a match, and my mom-” There’s a pause, and Blaine subconsciously braces himself. “My mom died from cancer when I was eight. She obviously couldn’t donate anything in the shape she was in. If anything, she needed a transplant more than me.”

“Oh, Kurt, I’m so sorry,” Blaine breathes out. He can’t even imagine what Kurt, or Burt, for that matter, must have gone through, must still be going through. “I know I can’t really _do_ anything but – I promise I’m here to talk if you ever need me.”

“Thanks,” Kurt whispers. “That means a lot, Blaine.”

They’re both silent for a while.

“Is the transplant the only cure?” Blaine asks.

“Well…” Kurt shakes his head slightly. “First of all, not all transplants are successful, so it’s not a very reliable cure at all. And then there’s this one hospital in Milan that offers gene therapy. It’s super expensive, though, and I’d have to get to Italy in one piece first. Rachel’s GoFundMe campaign is getting closer to her goal, so she might try it in the spring. Honestly, it’s probably more likely that I’ll get a bone-marrow donor first. That’s what I’ve set my hopes on, anyway.”

“Wow.” Blaine sends Kurt a look that he hopes is sympathetic, and less pitiful. “And if you got either of those… you’d be able to go outside?”

“Presumably, yes.”

Blaine gives Kurt a smile, locking eyes with him. “I hope you get it, Kurt. And I hope you can go live in New York and show everyone out there what Kurt Hummel is all about.”

Kurt’s small is smile but appreciative. “Thank you, Blaine.”

“And I wish I could hug you.”

This time, Kurt smiles wider, a little wistfully, before it turns into a smirk and a roll of his eyes.

“Dream on, Blaine.”


	9. Inch

Kurt figures he has a real problem now. It was bad enough to feel trapped when he first realized he wanted to go to New York. New York is distant enough to not be on his mind constantly.

“Rachel, how does it feel being in New York without _really_ being in New York?” he asks one afternoon during their daily bestie time.

“I’m sorry?” Rachel looks at him quizzically. “You’ve never asked me that before.”

“Just indulge me.”

Rachel shrugs. “I don’t know, I guess I don’t really know what it’s like either way. I mean, I can see the bustling city life from up here, and that’s great, but it’s more like a TV screen than anything else, so…”

“Yeah, it doesn’t interact with you, I guess,” Kurt says, frustrated.

Rachel inches closer to the screen. “What’s up with you lately? You seem… distracted.”

“Nothing, it’s just…” Kurt fiddles with the hem of his shirt. “I… I sort of met someone, I guess?”

“Wait, what?!” Rachel sits up straight. “Where, how? Did you finally try online dating?”

“No… it’s not like that. He… uhm.” He feels himself blushing. “He lives next door.”

“Oh my god, Kurt, did you get your transplant without telling me?!”

“No, no, gosh, of course not. I’d tell you right away, promise. Though that’s not by a long shot, I can tell. You’ll be getting gene therapy in Italy by then.” He watches Rachel’s excited little wiggle that she does every time anyone mentions her campaign. “So, that’s a no.”

“Then I don’t get it, how did you meet?”

“His window is right next to mine, and we’ve sort of been talking, well, texting first, then talking, and now…”

“How long has this been going on?”

“A month or so? But-”

“A month?! Kurt, we talk _daily_ and you never thought to mention this…?!”

“I’m sorry, Rach, I just wanted to… I don’t know, make sure it was really something worth mentioning?”

Rachel stops fussing for a second and smiles at him widely. “So, is it?”

“Worth mentioning?” he asks. Rachel nods. “Yeah.” Kurt licks his lips and smiles to himself. “Yeah, I think it is. I mean, I have a crush on him, not sure if it’s reciprocated, but… ugh, Rachel, I’ve never wanted to be able to leave this house so badly.”

“You’re very lucky, though,” Rachel tells him off-handedly.

“How?!” Kurt asks in confusion.

“Your window is right there next to yours?” Rachel asks. “Duh. You know what I see when I look out my window? Rooftops, lots and lots of rooftops. And the occasional pigeon. Not exactly dating material. You have him _right there_ at least.”

Kurt laughs but then he shakes his head. “But that’s just it, Rachel. There’s like, about two feet between his window and mine. It’s so close but never close enough. I…” He’s embarrassed to admit it but he pushes through. “Ideally, I’d not even want there to be an inch between us.”

Rachel’s eyebrows rise slowly. “That serious, huh? That’s intense.”

Kurt sighs. “Tell me about it.”


	10. Judgment

Blaine impatiently rubs his ear where it’s hot from pressing the phone against it. His frustration is curious, given that he spends hours at a time some days talking to Kurt, but half an hour talking to Cooper is seriously excruciating.

“Coop, you told me that same story last week, and the week before. No, I swear. I can prove it. It ends with the casting director from Stranger Things telling you after your audition that you’re in their top 5 for potential new roles in season 3, and then they don’t actually call you back to read for them. We agreed that was weird but you won’t get the role by getting even more agitated.”

“Okay, I can _hear_ the judgment in your voice, Blaine.”

Blaine rolls his eyes as he paces through his room, dodging an amused look from Kurt who happens to look over from his computer screen – skyping with Rachel – in that exact moment.

“I’m not judging, I’m-” He pauses, and starts anew. Sometimes that’s best with Cooper. “I hope you get the role or at least some other material to be excited about. But you’ve been talking non-stop for the past 35 minutes, and I actually called to ask you something.”

“Oh.” Cooper sounds surprised but doesn’t seem to mind the abrupt change of topic. “Ask away, then. Is it acting-related?”

“No. Well. I mean – I guess you could say that?” Blaine hums, unsure how openly he should approach this. “I’m… well…” Oh, screw it. “I’m into this guy.”

“Oh,” Cooper says again. “That’s great, Blaine!”

“Yeah, it is.” Blaine turns away from the window a little. Kurt is probably better at lip-reading than he lets on. “The problem is… I don’t really know what I’m doing, and the situation is a bit, uhm complicated. I need some advice on how to impress him, how to let him know I like him, without actually asking him out on a date.”

“Okay?” Cooper pauses. “Uh, to be honest, Blaine, I’ve always thought going for the date option is the best bet.”

“Yeah, but I can’t.”

“Sure you can, you’re a handsome guy, take it from me! And so charming!” Cooper gushes. “He’ll be going out with you in no time.”

“No, he won’t.” Blaine groans. “He’s our next-door neighbor who never comes out of his room because he has SCID and can’t actually go outside, ever.”

“Say what now?!”

“SCID, it’s-”

“Oh, I know what SCID is,” Cooper says quickly. Before Blaine can ask, he adds, “There’s a John Travolta movie about it. But… you finally decided to do something about your crush on the next-door neighbor, the one you wave to at the window every morning? The one with the scary dad?”

“Uhm, yeah,” Blaine says awkwardly. “I didn’t realize you knew about the waving. Or my feelings for him.”

“Oh, please, squirt.” Blaine doesn’t even correct him this time. “I might not visit that often but I pay attention. You’re always waving so passionately, it’s cute. What’s his name again, Kevin? Kent?”

“Kurt,” Blaine says, feeling himself blush to the roots of his hair. Good thing he has his back to Kurt. “His name is Kurt, and will you please stop judging me and help already?”

“Ah, but who says I was judging, Mr. Take-a-look-in-the-mirror?”

“Coop!”

“Alright, alright. I might have a few ideas. Get your notebook, Blaine. We’re going to woo the hell out of your boy.”


	11. Key

“Dad, stop fussing and leave for work.” Kurt sighs. “I’ll be fine, like all other 364 days of the year.”

“Kurt.” His dad’s face changes from worried to stern.

Kurt briefly indulges his dad and stares back. “Dad.”

“Take a moment for yourself today, okay?” Burt asks. “That’s all I ask.” He smiles at Kurt. “And now I’m going. I love you, bud.”

Kurt returns the smile. “Love you too, dad. And take a moment for yourself as well.”

“Always do. By the way, that shirt you designed looks great on you.”

Kurt fumbles with the dark green material. He’s really proud of it – especially the v-neck that none of his other, more medical-looking shirts have.

“Thanks, dad,” he says.

“You should make me one.”

“Way to spoil my Christmas surprise.” Kurt rolls his eyes. “Would you _leave_ already?”

“Jeez, bossy. You’re so much like your grandma sometimes. I feel like I’m a kid again, being told off for stealing her cookies.”

“Dad, you’re going to be late.”

“Alright, alright.” Burt holds up his hands in apology. “I’m going.”

With that, his dad leaves the kitchen. Kurt follows him to the foyer, a series of rooms separated from the rest of the house – from Kurt, to be precise – by glass doors, where Burt leaves most of his outside belongings and puts on his streetwear over the decontaminated clothes.

He watches his dad get into the car and pull out of the driveway. As soon as there is no chance for him to see Kurt anymore, Kurt sprints up to his room and waves to Blaine.

“Go time!” he adds, smiling widely. Blaine sends a beam his way that makes Kurt’s spine tingle.

The night before, when Kurt was getting ready for bed, Blaine asked whether they could talk. For a moment, Kurt thought he was going to tell him some sort of bed news, but then Blaine spent about five minutes stumbling his way through asking Kurt whether he would like to ‘meet’ him sometime. He wasn’t even finished actually asking when Kurt said, “Tomorrow, 8.15 in the morning, by the living room.”

Never having been more excited that his dad works Saturdays, Kurt wills away his nerves as he goes down to the living room and heads straight toward the window that faces the backyard. Blaine shows up a minute later, clad in a dark blue coat, a scarf and a beanie hat that makes him look more hipster than he usually looks with his bowties and cardigans. His face is a bit flushed, like he ran downstairs and crossed both of their yards to get to Kurt. Maybe he did. The thought makes Kurt smile grow even more.

“Hi, Blaine,” he says when Blaine’s finally in front of him, only the glass and a few steps between them.

“Hi, Kurt.” Blaine looks Kurt up and down in wonder. “You’re… wow, you’re taller than me.”

Kurt suppresses a grin. “Sorry?” he tries.

Blaine laughs. “I like it.” Kurt can only make out the words through the glass if he’s very quiet but it helps having Blaine so near that he can read his lips as well. They’re getting better at that. Two months of window conversations are paying off.

“You do?” he asks happily. “And you… you look cozy.”

“It’s actually not as cold outside as I thought. I feel a bit hot,” Blaine admits.

Kurt’s not going to tell him to lose some layers, obviously, but he can’t help but remark, “Good thing you’re not actually stepping inside, then.”

“I want to, though,” Blaine says. “Sometime else.”

“It’s a date,” Kurt breathes out, nervously noting that he just called it a date. They never specified what… _this_ … was. But Blaine was fumbling so badly on the phone, it just-

“Another one,” Blaine confirms with a smile. Kurt swears he feels his heart jump a little. “Even if it’s a bit weird to go on a date at 8.15 in the morning.”

“8.20,” Kurt corrects, just to have _something_ to say, given that all his nerves are screaming, _You’re on a date!_ “My dad just wouldn’t leave.”

“Does he have a sixth sense for sons who schedule secret get-aways to the living room?” Blaine asks, grinning brightly.

“No, he’s just-” Kurt wants to make an offhand comment, explain the day away like it’s nothing, but he can’t. It’s Blaine, for one, and it’s also his mother. “My mom died on this day nine years ago.”

Blaine’s eyes widen. “Oh, Kurt… I had no idea. I mean.” Blaine gulps. “Of course I didn’t. But- I’m sorry, Kurt. If you need to be alone…”

“No,” Kurt says firmly, fighting against the pressure behind his eyes. “I miss her, of course, and I usually cry my eyes out on this day, but I told you to come over so I _wouldn’t_ be alone. At least for like two hours before Carole comes over.” He rolls his eyes. “I’m sorry we’re on a schedule.”

“Don’t be silly,” Blaine says. “It’s nice to… well.” Kurt watches as he attempts a formal bow. “Nice to meet you. You know, officially. Kind of.”

Kurt laughs, eyes watering. “Likewise. My mom would have totally gone for your sense of humor, you know?”

“Awkward but weirdly adorable?” Blaine tilts his head and gives him puppy-dog eyes, driving the point home.

Kurt bites his lip, fails to hold in a grin, and says, “Something along those lines, yeah.”

“Is that her?” Blaine asks, pointing behind Kurt. Kurt follows the line of his finger to the urn on the fireplace.

He turns back around and nods. “Mom, meet Blaine. Blaine, meet mom.”

“Hi, Mrs. Hummel,” Blaine says at once. “This is weird.”

“It is,” Kurt agrees. “And she would like you to call her Elizabeth, I’m sure.”

“I’ll reconsider after our third date or so,” Blaine replies.

“Smooth.” Kurt laughs. “Planning the third date while still on the first. You’re very thorough. Do you have cue cards as well?”

“Uhm, no. For some weird reason I was convinced we could manage to hold a conversation,” Blaine says, pretending to frown. Kurt thinks back to their long talks at the window, on the phone or texting, how Blaine probably knows more about Kurt than Rachel at this point.

“You’re definitely right.”

“Well, I want to hear all about Rachel’s newest plans for your future Broadway Bubble Babies career.”

“Oh god, you won’t believe how detailed her thoughts on this are. We’re both taking online singing classes already but now she wants to enter this career prospects mentoring program and see if they can get us mentors over Skype. And she wants us to co-produce a YouTube version of The Last Five Years, since it’s a musical for two.”

“Uhm, I need to meet her already!” Blaine gushes. Kurt loves how much he loves Rachel from Kurt’s stories alone. “That sounds like the greatest idea ever!”

The two hours pass in a flash. Kurt basks in Blaine’s focused and passionate attention, listens to Blaine talk animatedly about the New Directions’ madness during competition season and they make plans for a Skype session with both of their best friends so that Blaine can meet Rachel and Wes, Blaine’s best friend at Dalton, can meet Kurt.

Blaine’s in the middle of telling Kurt about his family’s Christmas plans when Kurt hears the key to the front door turn in the lock, and then the unmistakable sliding sound of the front door opening.

“Sorry for interrupting,” he says with a sad smile. “But it’s Carole. It’ll take her about five minutes to actually get in and change and all that, but you should probably get going.”

Blaine’s sad face matches his.

“It’s not that I don’t want my family to know about you,” he tries to reassure Blaine. “But today, I kind of wanted to take this moment for myself.”

Blaine waves it off. “Don’t worry about it. I know it’s easier this way. You don’t have to tell them at all if you don’t want.”

Kurt smiles knowingly at Blaine’s quick agreement. “You’re scared of my dad, aren’t you?”

“Terrified.”

Kurt’s cheeks are hurting from smiling so much. “You don’t have to be,” he promises. “Well, I guess this is goodbye for now.”

“Goodbye for now,” Blaine echoes. He pulls off his left glove and lets the hand come to rest on the window. “This was nice, I had fun.”

Kurt’s right hand shakes slightly as he lays it on the glass to mirror Blaine’s. If he pretends hard enough, it’ll feel like they’re touching.

“I had fun, too,” he whispers, locking eyes with Blaine. “ _You’re_ fun.”

Blaine’s face is so close to the window now Kurt feels like he could count all his eyelashes (an ambitious endeavor), name a new color after Blaine’s eyes (smouldering honey gold) and remember the shape of Blaine’s lips well enough to draw a picture of them later (to have _something_ to kiss at least).

“Kurt…” Blaine blinks at him, visibly intrigued by Kurt’s intense stare.

Kurt breaks out of his little fantasy world with a big sigh.

“To be continued,” he says firmly.

“I know.” Blaine huffs out a laugh. “But I really don’t want to go right now.”

“I’ll text you as soon as I’m upstairs.” Kurt rolls his eyes when Blaine stays rooted to the spot. For the second time today, if a bit more reluctantly this time, he says, “Would you _leave_ already?”

He watches as Blaine retreats to his house, fumbling with the key to his front door before pulling it wide open and slipping inside.

It feels like the perfect metaphor for what he’s doing with Kurt’s heart.


	12. Limited

Blaine’s been floating on cloud 9 all weekend, trading flirty text messages with Kurt until way past both their bedtimes.

But there’s nothing like a Monday morning at McKinley to pull him down from his high. He hugs his notebook to his chest as he passes through the crowded hallway, trying to find his New Directions friends Tina and Sam.

Just as he turns the corner and spots Sam’s blond hair – Sam’s tall enough to be easy to see over everyone else – someone slams into him on the way.

“Watch where you’re going, gloser!” Karofsky yells, even though Blaine’s the one who landed on the floor. Karofsky, a jock twice his size and one of the main reasons Blaine hasn’t taken an interest in his school’s football team so far (even though Sam and Kurt’s brother Finn are on it), doesn’t have a scratch and is still standing. Well, slightly slouched as usual, but Blaine isn’t going to point out his terrible posture.

“Gloser, really?” Blaine mumbles. He doesn’t even want to know if it stands for “gay loser” or “glee loser”.

Blaine hasn’t officially come out or anything but he doesn’t hide the fact that he’s gay either. And as for Glee,  it isn’t the most respected club in school but he has managed to avoid conflict with their tormenters so far. He’s been slushy-free, too, a fact that might change very soon, if Karofsky’s angry face is any indication.

Then his grimace turns into a smirk and Blaine’s heart skips a beat when he sees him picking up the notebook.

“That’s mine,” Blaine says quickly.

“No kidding!” Karofsky howls, and Azimio, his even dumber lackey, cackles like a hyena behind him. “Aw, the gloser has the hots for a guy called Kurt.” Karofsky frowns as he reads the first item on the list Cooper helped him with, and Blaine suppresses a groan. “What the fuck kinda fetishes are you fairies into? What’s with all the windows?!”

Karofsky shudders, and Blaine seizes the moment to snatch the notebook out of his hands and gets up as quickly as possible. His options are limited as it is if he doesn’t want half the football team ganging up on him, and he’s going to be pretty much dead meat if he stays on the floor a second longer. Azimio already looks like he is going to kill him.

“Better than your letterman jacket fetish,” he can’t help but shoot back. “When’s the last time you washed that smelly thing, first day of freshman year?”

He doesn’t wait to see or hear their reactions, he just turns around and runs. Sometimes being smaller than the footballers really has its perks.

He manages to avoid Karofsky and Azimio all day, and makes sure that his notebook is safely stored in his backpack.

The first item on his list, scoring a first date with Kurt and seeing him up close, if through a window, is checked. The second item – well, that one is going to need a little preparation.

Yesterday, Kurt confessed to him that Carole had figured him out the second he came out to greet her, and Blaine’s mind had been filled with images of a bashful-looking Kurt trying to pretend like he didn’t just spend two hours flirting with Blaine through his living-room window. Ah, good images.

Then Kurt called Carole into his room and put her on the phone with Blaine because she wanted to meet him, too. After dialing up his charm to about 200%, she agreed that Blaine could come over for their next date – if Burt was in on everything, too. That’s where Blaine’s still a bit doubtful that it’s ever going to happen. But again, his options are limited. Either tell Mr. Hummel and see Kurt, or plainly not see Kurt. The second one isn’t really an option, anyway.

In the meantime, Carole gave him pointers on what to do before coming over. Buying medical hygiene products, showering thoroughly, no aftershave lotion or deodorant or any other product, just to be sure – including hair gel, Kurt teased him. Carole will give him clothes to change into, so Blaine figures wooing Kurt will be all personality-driven: He’ll look like medusa, in medically prepared clothes, and won’t smell like anything (hopefully).

As if he knew Blaine was thinking about it, his phone dings with a message from Kurt.

_MY DAD SAID YES!!! – K_

Blaine gulps. Wow, so it’s happening. Tina shoots him a worried look from her side of the desk but he assures her he’s alright.

_WE’RE GOING TO BE IN THE **SAME** ROOM!!!!!!!! – K_

Another limit: No physical contact whatsoever. Blaine’s very touchy-feely, usually, so he’ll have to figure out what to do with his hands and – well, everything. The need to touch Kurt through the glass window was overwhelming enough that he put up his hand to initiate semi-contact. He’ll probably have to be handcuffed this time. Or glue his body to a wall.

_Okay, I know you’re in class but my phone says you read the messages so I’m assuming you’re freaking out. – K_

_No reason to. My dad’s going to love you. – K_

Blaine shakes his head and tries to concentrate on the math assignments he’s working on with Tina.

Kurt’s right, he’s nervous as hell. But he won’t let himself be limited by that. He’s going to bring his A game.


	13. Mist

When Kurt wakes up Sunday morning, icy mist is still hanging low on the yard and even the birds are still silent. He tries to fall back to sleep but he just can’t.

It’s Sunday, and today is the day Blaine is coming over. He’s not coming over until the afternoon but Kurt can’t help being excited. It’s been more than a week since their last close-up meeting and Kurt’s dying for more.

He’s surprised to find his dad in the kitchen, drinking coffee and staring holes into the wall.

“Dad!” he says. “It’s your free day, what’s got you up so early and looking so… contemplative?”

“Same thing as you, I imagine,” Burt says knowingly, tearing his gaze away from the wall and shooting Kurt a grin.

“You’re worried.” Kurt sighs. “Dad, you already said yes, you can’t change your mind now.”

“I did.” Burt clears his throat. “And I stand by it, I’m not changing my mind. You looked so happy when you told me about him. But your old man’s gonna worry, no matter what.”

“Blaine’s great, I swear,” Kurt insists. “He’s nervous, too.”

“Look, I don’t doubt that. But two young boys in love-”

“No L word yet,” Kurt says quickly, ears burning. “We haven’t even touched-”

“And _that’s_ what I’m worried about.” Burt shakes his head. “If he’s as great as you say, and you certainly look like he’s hung the moon… you’re going to want more eventually, and we have to make sure you’re safe.”

Kurt rolls his eyes. “For any normal teenager, this would be the exact beginning of _the_ talk, and here we are, talking about holding hands and… ugh.”

“You’re frustrated.”

“Of course I am!” Kurt cries out. “ _Assuming_ Blaine will want to stick around after seeing how much of an ordeal it is to be around me, I will never be able to do as much for him as he will do for me. No slow-dancing at prom, no going to see him perform at regionals, no coffee dates at the Lima Bean, no meeting his friends at Dalton…”

Burt’s gaze turns soft. “Kurt, you have so much to offer and you don’t even know. You’re not stuck. I want all of that for you. And we’re going to find you a donor-”

“Yeah, right.” Kurt scoffs. “17 years without a donor and all of a sudden someone’s going to show up?” He waves his hands up in the air sarcastically. “A Christmas miracle!”

“Okay, enough.” Burt motions for Kurt to sit down. “It’s early in the morning and you have a date to get ready for.” Burt pours Kurt a glass of water. “We’re going to eat breakfast, get over our fears with a clear mind, okay? What is our motto?”

Kurt takes a sip of water. His heart not really in it, he recites, “SCID won’t push the Hummels around.”

“Damn right it won’t.”


	14. Chapter 14

It’s the first time Blaine faces the door since October, and he’s glad he isn’t holding a bottle of wine this time around, lest he comes across as an alcoholic – that would probably not make him an attractive dating prospect for Burt’s son.

Burt and Carole are both there when he arrives, and he spots Kurt behind several glass doors, shifting from one foot to the other impatiently. Blaine waves hello and gets a small wave and a mouthed “hi” in return.

He leaves his shoes and jacket in the first room, puts on the clothes Carole hands him in a little changing room to the side, and makes his way to another room where he’s instructed by Carole to wash his hands with antibacterial soap.

Then they finally let him through the last two doors to get to Kurt. Blaine almost hits his nose on the second one because he can’t wait for it to slide open. Thankfully Burt and Carole are behind him, so Kurt’s the only one to see it, and he’s discreet enough to hide his chuckle behind his hand. Blaine’s embarrassed but the feeling is overpowered by the sudden yet familiar urge to hug the boy in front of him.

Any words he had prepared before going in die in his throat; he’s too overwhelmed to get them out. Two months of interaction with a changing number of windows between them – and now there’s only air. Kurt is right there in front of him.

“You okay, son?” Burt asks him. “You look like you’re about to throw up.”

“Dad, be nice,” Kurt warns before turning to Blaine with a soft, “Welcome, I’m glad you’re here.”

“M-me too,” Blaine gets out, still a bit choked up. He composes himself and adds, in Burt’s direction, “And if I have to throw up – which I don’t – I’ll use the extra bathroom that Kurt doesn’t have access to. I’ll excuse myself if I have to sneeze or something like that, and we’ll keep space between ourselves for minimal contact risks.”

“He read my detailed email!” Carole gushes. Blaine tries not to look to proud. “See, Burt, I told you he’s a keeper.”

“Why are you telling _me_ , it’s not _my_ decision,” Burt replies with a shrug. Blaine wonders if he’s imagining the almost-hidden grin. Then his face turns stern again. “Kurt, you know the rules, yeah?”

Kurt huffs. “Do you want me to recite the poem like Blaine or do you trust me without proof?” he teases.

“Ha ha ha. Don’t mock me for worrying.”

“I know the rules,” Kurt confirms, and winks at Blaine as he turns to the stairs. “Come on, I’ll show you my room.”

“Have fun!” Carole says sweetly as Blaine follows Kurt down the hall.

He can’t stop looking around. The house looks mostly empty, scarcely furnished, and exceptionally clean – of course, since Kurt has to live and survive in it. It’s a weird thought.

“Sorry about my dad,” Kurt says as they walk up the stairs. “He’s a bit of a weirdo.”

“It went a lot better than I thought it would,” Blaine admits.

“Yeah, good thing he didn’t see you walk into the last door nose first, though,” Kurt teases him as he comes to halt in front of an open door in the second-floor hallway. “You would not have lived that down.”

“Oh god.” Blaine facepalms. “That was… a bit of a weak moment.”

Kurt leans in slightly, making Blaine’s breath hitch, even though there’s still a fair amount of space between them.

“I was excited to see you, too,” he confesses in a whisper.

Blaine doesn’t even attempt to hide his smile.

“Well,” Kurt continues. “This is my room. You’ve seen it – sort of.”

“Never from this angle though,” Blaine says. “Wow. It’s huge.”

It’s true, the room is at least twice as big as Blaine’s room. The large window front makes it seem even bigger. Blaine’s bed is nothing compared to Kurt’s king sized one, and Kurt’s desk actually looks like it could belong in Miranda Priestly’s office. Blaine tells him as much and Kurt is delighted because, quote, “Comparison to Meryl Streep – continue talking and I might let you sit at it.”

Kurt gives him a tour of his walk-in closet – most of it is simple clothing as Blaine is wearing at the moment but there are a few extra things Kurt has begged his dad to buy for him, apparently, and of course also the few ones that Kurt designed on his own.

“What about this one?” Blaine asks, pointing at the asymmetrical sweater Kurt is wearing. “Did you design that one?”

“I wish!” Kurt says. “I’m not that talented – yet. I’ve only designed very simple stuff so far.”

“Well, you started, like, two months ago, right? These are very impressive already.”

Once Kurt is done showing him everything, he sits down on his bed. Blaine lingers in the open space between the door and Kurt’s desk, unsure of what to do.

“You can sit down,” Kurt says with a pointed look.

Blaine moves towards the desk but Kurt shakes his head.

“I was thinking here?” He pats the bed.

Blaine knows he looks conflicted, and he wishes he wouldn’t, or wouldn’t have to.

“It’s okay if we sit far enough apart,” Kurt says.

“Are you sure?” Blaine asks. Carole’s email didn’t include anything about sitting on Kurt’s furniture.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Kurt says, rolling his eyes. “I’ll feel awkward if you stand the whole time.”

As soon as he’s seated, they embark on different topics from the newest Vogue issue to juicy celebrity gossip, and time – as always with Kurt – flies. Blaine makes sure to leave space between them even as they move to lie down, Kurt on the left side, Blaine on the right side of the bed, facing each other.

“So, how’s McKinley?” Kurt asks. “Still the hell hole you described?”

“More or less.” Blaine shrugs. “A few of the football guys are making me their new target, I think.”

“What?” Kurt frowns. “Why?”

“Well, they know I’m gay for one. Not that it’s a secret or anything. And also… well, they kinda know about you.” Kurt raises his eyebrows, and Blaine’s quick to say, “Not that I’m, like, telling everyone about you, and it’s not _you_ specifically they know about, they just saw my date plans in my notebook and, well, things went downhill from there.”

Kurt blinks a few times. “Uh, okay… I mean, _not_ okay. Obviously. I don’t want you to be bullied because of me.” He grimaces, then bites his lip. “But I like the part about the date plans.”

“They haven’t really done anything. They throw me dirty looks but that’s it. I haven’t even been slushied.” Blaine smiles. “And I like the date plans, too, if I do say so myself.”

“Should I ask Finn to tell them to lay off?”

“No. That would probably make it worse.”

“Alright…” Kurt pauses. “Promise you tell me if it gets worse?”

“Of course.” Blaine nods, and holds his fingers up to do a pinky promise by himself. “I swear.”

“I wish I was there with you to tell them off. I have a few good comebacks up my sleeve.”

Blaine laughs. “I bet.” He looks up to the ceiling. “How’s doing school stuff all by yourself? Is it as peaceful as I imagine?”

“Ah, well, depends on the virtual classroom.” Kurt sighs. “Some lessons are more private, others have a ton of annoying people in them. I’ve only ever really enjoyed French and Music, to be honest. And the extra classes I take, like designing and private singing lessons.” He props himself up on his elbow. “Oh, and I took a composing class, you might have liked that.”

“Really?” Blaine asks, excited. He told Kurt before that he’s thinking of making composing his minor in college if he gets into any music schools. “Did you compose something, too?”

“Eh, just basic stuff.” Kurt waves it off. “But I did have this idea for a Broadway show… I’ve got the plot, anyway. I want it to be a musical about kids like me. If you ever make it in composing, you should help me out.” He grins at Blaine. “I’m calling it ‘Soothing Chords in Daydreams’.”

“Why that title?”

“Abbreviate it.”

“S. C. – oh! I see what you did there.” Blaine laughs. “That’s clever.”

Kurt beams. “Thanks.”

“I’ll totally write the music for you if I ever advance to that level of skills in composing,” Blaine promises.

“I’m sure you will. It wasn’t that hard, I just didn’t really have the patience for it, I guess.”

Blaine shakes his head in wonder. “You’re 17 and have a fully-fledged story for a musical, you design your own clothes and you don’t think composing is ‘that hard,’” he says, using air quotes. Only half-joking, he asks, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Yeah,” Kurt answers. “Go outside.”

Blaine closes his eyes. Foolish thing to say, of course. “Touché.”

He feels the bed dip a little and his eyes fly open as Kurt scooches close. Face only inches from Blaine’s, their noses almost touching, he mumbles, “Or kiss you.”

Blaine tries to lie completely still, daring every muscle in his body not to move, because if he does, he is most definitely going to lose control and kiss Kurt senseless. Kurt’s way too close already. He stares at Kurt’s lips, wondering what they’d taste like.

“Kurt,” he finally gets out. “You can’t say that.”

“Sorry,” Kurt whispers. “Words are all I have in this scenario.”

Blaine backs away a little, still scared to accidentally make a move he’ll regret. Kurt looks a bit taken aback, so he wills himself to be as open about it as Kurt.

“For the record, I want to kiss you, too.”

The frown disappears from Kurt’s face. All that’s left is a bittersweet mixture of a smile and sad, endlessly blue eyes.

“Good to know,” Kurt says. “Even if it’ll never be enough.”


	15. Nose

Kurt’s dad is happy to see that there are no changes in Kurt’s health after Blaine’s visit, and he lets him visit more frequently. Never completely unsupervised, of course, but it’s easy to see Burt likes Blaine well enough to trust him around Kurt.

Kurt is getting happier but also more frustrated by the minute. He’s initially worried that Blaine will grow tired of the procedure as it takes him 10 minutes to get in and out of the house every time they have him over and there’s obviously no physical progression of any kind in their relationship. But when he voices his concerns on the phone with Blaine and starts rambling, he’s interrupted by Blaine knocking on his bedroom window to get Kurt’s attention.

“Listen closely, Kurt,” he says when Kurt reluctantly shuts up. “You’re crazy if you think I can be scared away that easily because, actually, _I_ am crazy… about you.”

That shuts Kurt up more effectively, and he’s been doodling hearts all over his school notes ever since, feeling almost like an average teenager. And just like an average teenager, he’s panicking over what to give Blaine for fast-approaching Christmas.

“Ouch, first-boyfriend gifts, always tough,” Rachel commiserates.

Kurt squirms in his seat. “Is boyfriend the right word? We haven’t really talked about it.”

“Do you think you need to?” Rachel laughs. “He seems pretty into you from what you tell me.”

“Okay, so let’s assume we’re… boyfriends,” Kurt says, involuntarily letting out a breathy sigh at the word that makes Rachel giggle again, “what do I give him?! It’s not like I can go out and buy something and I kind of don’t want to order something and have my dad inspect it.”

“What do you usually give your dad for Christmas?”

“Rachel Berry, I’m not going to give my – well, _Blaine_ … I’m not going to give him something I would give my dad for Christmas. That’s just – no, just, no, okay?”

Rachel shakes her head at him. “Why not?! I always give my dads the greatest gift I can give them – my voice. Since they gave me my own recording equipment for my birthday this year, I recorded a Berry Broadway mix for them.”

Kurt’s ready to shoot back something witty as he usually does when Rachel Berry lets her ego fly free but then again… Blaine does love music, and musicals, and composing, and-

“Rachel, you might have just given me a great idea.”

Working on his idea without Blaine noticing is hard because they usually stay in touch via their bedroom windows and his desk in direct sight whenever Blaine’s in his room. But an opportunity presents itself when Blaine’s brother comes to visit early just before Christmas and Blaine’s family has a long family dinner the Friday after Cooper arrives.

The next morning, Kurt does a double take when he looks over to Blaine’s room and realizes that for the first time since the Andersons moved in, Blaine’s curtains are closed. He frowns and grabs his phone from the desk.

_Are you okay…? You’re not sick, are you?_

He stares out his window as he waits anxiously. He hopes Blaine didn’t catch anything because if he did, they can’t meet up until way, way after Christmas, and he was sort of hoping to give him his present in person.

“And obviously I don’t want him to feel sick and awful,” he mumbles to himself as he processes how self-centered that thought was. “God, Kurt, way to go.”

He doesn’t have time to ponder on it because one of the curtains lifts and Blaine’s head pokes out. His hair isn’t gelled, unruly curls springing free here and there. Kurt loves that Blaine leaves his hair like that whenever he comes over because it’s a very cute look, but seeing him in this state at home only confirms his initial thought.

He pouts at Blaine from afar but Blaine shakes his head quickly.

“Not sick!” he says, clear to read for Kurt, his wide smile confirming that he’s indeed well and apparently very happy to see Kurt.

“Then what…?” Kurt asks, and he waits as Blaine disappears behind the curtain again.

When it rustles again, it’s not Blaine who emerges but Cooper, flashing him a radiant grin. Insanely good looks and charm to match run in the family, it seems.

Kurt has only ever seen him a few times from his bedroom window, though he never actually _met_ him, so he waves shyly. Cooper waves back and then holds up a hastily-written sign:

YOU TWO ARE SICKENLY CUTE BUT BLAINE’S BOOKED FOR THE DAY. BIG PLANS. CLOSED AUDIENCE THOUGH. IT’LL BE WORTH IT, PROMISE.

Kurt raises his eyebrows at the message, trying to combine the puzzle pieces. He thinks of the hair, and then dives towards the desk to retrieve pen and paper.

ARE YOU MAKING HIM OVER??? he asks.

The thought seems so delightful to Cooper that he laughs and claps his hands. A second later, Blaine’s confused face appears next to Cooper’s, trying to get a glimpse of the conversation, but Cooper pushes him out of view at once. He says something to Blaine but the only phrase Kurt catches quickly enough is, “Let me do the talking.”

On the paper, he writes, NO BUT THAT’S ACTUALLY AN EXCELLENT IDEA. MAYBE FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY.

Kurt almost facepalms. IS THIS GIFT-RELATED THEN?

Cooper looks a bit like a deer caught in headlights when he reads what Kurt’s written, and Blaine, out of view but apparently in the loop, hits Cooper on the back of his head with something that looks like a paint brush.

Kurt shakes his head in amusement. Cooper starts to write something but Kurt motions for him to stop.

ACTUALLY, DON’T TELL ME. I LIKE SURPRISES. AS LONG AS YOU’RE NOT HAVING AN ORGY IN THERE, I’M GOOD.

Cooper chuckles, goes back to writing and finally replies, YOU’RE GIVING ME SO MANY GOOD IDEAS HERE. I LIKE YOU, I HOPE YOU STICK AROUND. NICE TO MEET YOU, KURT.

Kurt ducks his head with a smile.

PLANNING ON IT. AND LIKEWISE, COOPER.

The curtains close again and Kurt figures he’ll use the opportunity to work on his own gift some more.


	16. Perform

“So, how are we doing this gift exchange thing?” Kurt asks, smiling at Blaine from where he’s standing at his window, phone pressed to his ear.

Blaine is sitting on his bedroom’s window sill, the curtains still strictly closed behind him.

“I’m ready when you are,” he challenges, though he’s really anxious to reveal his present. He hopes Kurt will like it – it wasn’t easy to find something non-material that wouldn’t be a big problem to give to Kurt but in the end, he had thought of something that also very conveniently coincided with something on Cooper’s Wooing-Kurt list.

Kurt’s eyes widen. “Wait, what? You’re ready, like, right now?”

“You’re not?” Blaine asks, surprised. “I assumed that was the reason you called.”

“No, I called to ask you to come over here. To do this in person… you know?”

Blaine scratches his head and laughs. “Sorry, Kurt, not an option. I can’t physically bring the present with me.”

“O-kaaay,” Kurt says slowly, tilting his head. “Well, I’m still requesting your physical presence for my gift because… I just kind of need you here for it.”

Blaine is sure the intensity of their locked gaze is somehow going to melt both of their windows, so he breaks it for a second to look behind him and tug at the curtain slightly. Kurt leans forward slightly, and Blaine’s pleased to detect curiosity in his eyes. At least it’ll be a surprise – ideally a good one.

“Well, I can go first and then come over after?” he offers. “Since mine is, uh, right here.”

He glances at Kurt, and sees him nodding. “I like that,” he says.

“Okay, ready?” Blaine asks. Kurt nods again, and Blaine pulls at his curtains. “Ta-daaaah.”

He slips off the window sill and steps aside to give Kurt a full view. He worked on the present all weekend, with some help from his brother. It took some re-arranging – his piano is now right at the window so that the wall next to his desk is completely free – but it should be right in Kurt’s line of sight, at least that’s what Blaine gathered from his visits at Kurt’s. He took a sneaky picture with his phone to make sure.

“Blaine,” Kurt breathes out. “Is that- did you-”

Blaine peeks out the window and bites his lip into a smile when he sees how Kurt’s taking everything in hungrily, eyes flitting from one detail to the next.

“I figured if you can’t go to New York, I’ll have to bring New York to you,” Blaine explains. “Or, well, Times Square. The whole of New York would have been difficult.” He laughs nervously. “So, yeah, that’s why I wouldn’t let you see the past two days… uhm- and-”

“Thank you so much,” Kurt interrupts his rambling. There’s an audible gulp on the other line. “I- Blaine, I don’t even know what to say… I mean, that’s the best gift ever.”

Blaine chuckles. “Well, _that’s_ a good thing to say. So you like it?”

“I love it. It’s so thoughtful! I’m sorry you had to defile your bedroom for it.”

“Nonsense, I love New York, too.” Blaine shrugs, taking a few steps backwards to point to his artwork. “And I’m not sure you can see it but I actually used canvas panels so I didn’t actually paint on the wall, just on the canvas. Maybe it can actually move to your house one day, once it’s completely dry… behind glass and stuff.”

Blaine saw the display cases in Kurt’s house that sealed off some of the pictures on the walls, so he figures Burt and Carole might be okay with it.

“Really?! Wow, Blaine… wait, and you painted that yourself?! It’s not store-bought?!”

“No, they didn’t really have the picture I was going for. They have the skyline but not Times Square with all the Broadway ads… see, I put Rent here, and then Wicked, obviously… Les Mis… Cooper helped, he’s much better at painting than I am, to be honest. It’s better from afar, too. And we used pictures to copy from, so it’s not-”

“Okay, can you stop selling your present short, please and thank you?” Kurt asks, laughing. “I don’t care about the flaws, I’m just way too floored right now to even process that you painted a Times Square canvas for me, like- gosh, that’s amazing.”

Kurt spends another few minutes gushing about Blaine’s present – so when it’s Blaine’s turn to come over and receive his own present, he’s feeling all warm inside already just from knowing he made Kurt happy. Kurt’s face is pink from the moment Blaine steps inside.

“I don’t know how to follow that,” he admits once they’re in his bedroom, Blaine on Kurt’s bed and Kurt at his desk.

Blaine shakes his head. “I’m sure I’ll love your present, too.”

Kurt takes a deep breath. “Alright. It’s… uhm, it’s also nothing I can actually _give_ you, but, uh…” He pauses and reaches behind him to grab his laptop. “Well, I’ll need you to read this.”

Blaine raises his eyebrows, intrigued, as Kurt hands him his laptop, a word document opened for him to see.

“Okay,” he says, taking a moment to comprehend what he is reading. He scans the first page, notices character descriptions and lines, and stage directions. “Wait, is that- is that your script for your musical?”

Kurt squirms on his seat. “Well, it’s a draft of some of the scenes I have a clear idea on, but just… read on.”

Blaine does as he’s told, taking his time and smiling at some of the jokes Kurt has put in there.

“Okay, I didn’t factor in how much the waiting would be killing me,” Kurt groans, hiding his face behind his hands. “I’ll just stay like this until-”

“Wait, the main character is based on you, right?” Blaine interrupts.

Kurt nods – and of course it is, the character fits Kurt like a glove.

“And is… is his, uh, boyfriend…?” Blaine asks, not sure how to finish. But the character description is pretty telling: dark messy hair, obsessed with dorky bow ties, aiming for a career in music…

Another shy nod from Kurt. He lowers his hands to look at Blaine, though his blush has deepened significantly.

“I… it wasn’t meant to be a- a love story, originally,” he explains. “But – then _you_ happened, and I couldn’t shake the idea of writing what… _this_ … feels like.”

“Kurt…” Blaine whispers, torn between staring at Kurt and scanning more of the dialogue. Now he’s the one scrambling for words. “Oh, what’s this, a song?” he asks, cringing when it comes off as if he’s changing the topic. It’s just that there are so many feelings threatening to burst out of his chest, like he is going to explode.

“Yeah.” Kurt clears his throat. “I wrote it this weekend. Tried my hand at composing again. I promised to let you compose for me, and I will, but this one was too personal not to do it myself. And… I can sing it for you, too. It’s- I know it’s unlikely I am actually going to perform this on stage, ever, so if I am going to get the chance to perform it for you, then this way, I guess. That’s why I wanted you… here, right now.”

Blaine blinks, curious. He didn’t expect another surprise and he realizes now that this is Kurt’s actual present to him, not the script.

“I would love that,” he says honestly.

Kurt takes the laptop from him, opens his music program and plays the accompaniment file. It’s a piano ballad, right up Blaine’s alley, and of course Kurt knew that. Blaine sits up straight, gives Kurt all of his attention.

Hearing Kurt sing for the first time is breathtaking. His voice shakes slightly as he starts but he regains control once he reaches the chorus, and as far as Blaine’s concerned, Kurt should sing every song on the radio from now on. His lower register is smooth and soothing, and his higher register is absolutely angelic.

Blaine realizes as he listens that the song is about the two characters communicating through a window between them, inching closer until the glass is all there is between them. Kurt’s character fantasizes about the glass disappearing, about feeling the other’s lips and skin and breath for the first time, and concludes that he’s missing something he’s never actually had.

It’s not perfect, a little rough around the edges, but Blaine doesn’t care. The song ends and he ends up staring at Kurt in awe.

“Merry Christmas,” Kurt says. Kurt, his boyfriend, who made him a character in his passion project.

“I hope you like it,” he adds. Kurt, whom Blaine is so in love with, who just wrote him a _love_ song, essentially.

Blaine doesn’t even realize how wide he is smiling.

“I- I… I love you,” is what tumbles out of him eventually.

It’s harder than ever to not break the rules. Blaine’s heart is beating fast, itching to reach out and do… _something_ , but he knows they can’t. Kurt’s equally awed expression tells him that at least he wants it, too, that they’re both in the same boat. Maybe that’s enough for now.

That is, until Kurt does break the rules.

He sighs in frustration and gets up from his chair, coming closer and grabbing Blaine’s collar.

“Kurt, what are you-”

Blaine’s silenced by Kurt’s lips on his. He’s rooted to the spot, his mind alarmed, though his body sags in relief.

It’s a soft pressure, a wonderfully satisfying feeling, and it’s gone in a flash, as Kurt retracts with wide eyes and an apologetic, wistful smile on his face.

“I love you, too,” he whispers. “So I had to do that just once.”


	17. Raw

Kissing Blaine might have been a mistake.

Not because it wasn’t good. God, it so was. Fifteen minutes later, Kurt’s mind is still reeling from the insanity that took over that moment – the open vulnerability of performing his musical’s love ballad for Blaine, the raw emotions unleashed in him when Blaine told him he loved him, the rush of adrenaline when he gave in to his instincts and just locked his lips with Blaine’s.

But the freaking out after, that part Kurt could have lived without. He himself was freaking out on the inside – he just _kissed_ another boy, and not just anyone, but _Blaine_ – but Blaine was freaking out on the outside – and not the good kind, because Kurt just kissed him, but the bad kind, because Kurt put his health in jeopardy.

He basically fled the room, leaving Kurt to freak out some more on his own, and Kurt’s hurt.

Emotionally, that is.

Carole is going to come in soon to check his temperature and blood values, as she does every night. Kurt feels just fine physically, but he prays there won’t be any further complications. It’s not even like he cares that much about himself right now. Deep down, he just wants to be right, because it _felt_ right and he wants to be able to have something like this.

Maybe, if he turns out to be completely fine, they can do it again.

As if on cue, his phone beeps with a message from Blaine.

_Are you okay? – B_

_We can’t do that again. – B_

Kurt glances over to Blaine’s bedroom, and of course Blaine isn’t in there. What a coward.

_Jeez, just tell me you didn’t like it and get it over with. – K_

Kurt knows he’s being childish and petty but he can’t help but feel personally betrayed. If the kiss was better, maybe Blaine wouldn’t have even thought about Kurt’s condition, maybe he would have forgotten, if only for a moment.

There’s an incoming call.

“Tell me you know that’s not the reason I left,” Blaine says right away. He sounds like he’s crying. Kurt’s heart takes a leap in his chest, and he curses his emotions for being so flaky.

“I want to believe that,” he mumbles. “But you could have stayed, and you didn’t.”

“No, I couldn’t have, I _had_ to go,” Blaine counters. “You just sang me a whole song about it. I want the glass to vanish, too, and that kiss was _amazing_ , but- Kurt, we probably wouldn’t have stopped and your health is impor-”

“I don’t care about-”

“But I do!” Kurt jumps a little at Blaine’s aggravated tone. “I just told you I love you, Kurt! Obviously I don’t want you to _die_ , for fuck’s sake, I-” He sniffs. “You’re okay, right?! You’re feeling well? How long does it usually take until you know for sure that-”

“I don’t know,” Kurt says, defeated. He wasn’t feeling selfish until Blaine pointed out his side of things, and rethinking the situation makes him a bit nauseated. What an awful thing to do to Blaine. He’s probably blaming himself. “I’m sorry, Blaine.”

“It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have told you-”

“No, no, no. Don’t take it back,” Kurt begs. “We loved each other before we said it, and we were good, we obeyed the rules. I was the one who had to go and break it, I got too… excited, and reckless, I guess. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.” He pauses, closes his eyes. “Even though it was the best thing I’ve ever done, too.”

“Kurt.” Blaine sounds hoarse. “I just want you to be okay. I promise I’ll wait for you, until you get your transplant, until things are fine-”

“Yeah, I’m just not so sure that will ever happen.” Kurt sighs. “And I’m so tired of waiting.”

Blaine doesn’t say anything.

“Where are you?” Kurt asks when he hears children laughing on the other line.

“I went on a walk around the block,” Blaine says. “I’m at the mall now. Sorry I ran off.”

“It’s okay. This is complicated.” Kurt rolls his eyes at himself. “Way to state the obvious. I just mean-”

He breaks off there, forcing himself to take a deep breath. He doesn’t quite succeed. The prospect of them having their first fight right after their first “I love you” and their first kiss is getting to him – it’s making him feel quite queasy.

“Yeah?” Blaine asks.

“I mean…”

No, actually it’s not just in his head. He’s pretty sure he’s having a physical response to – whatever, maybe it’s something else, maybe…

“Kurt?” Blaine asks again, a bit more urgently. “Kurt?!”

Maybe this is not what he thinks it is. He doesn’t want to regret the kiss.

“Gotta go,” he says. “I’ll call you back.”

He ends the call, flings his phone on his desk and lies down on his bed.

Deep breath in, deep breath out. He holds his hand up in front of his face, and realizes with a start that he’s shaking.

And it’s suddenly very hot in his room.

“Dad? Carole?” he yells, hoping that they’re within earshot. “Hey, dad?!”

Yeah, this is what he had hoped it wouldn’t be.

“Yeah?” comes the reply, thankfully.

“Help, please!” he shouts, and hears footsteps coming up the stairs right away.

He can feel the sweat on his face now, and he sits up a little bit to at least appear somewhat collected.

_Oh, bad idea._ He sways to the side, barely able to keep himself upright.

“Kurt? Oh my god, Kurt!” His dad is at his side right away to catch him mid-fall.

“Stupid,” is all he can mumble before he’s gently guided back onto the mattress, only vaguely aware of Carole running to his closet to get the emergency equipment.


	18. Stir

Blaine has never run faster.

He knew from the moment Kurt started sounding off that leaving was the worst thing he could have done, even though he was convinced it was for the better when he took off.

Stupid, stupid idea.

He’s back at Kurt’s house within two minutes, panting and frantically ringing the doorbell. He prays someone beside Kurt is home – was there anyone with Kurt when he left?

Damn it, Burt and Carole shouldn’t trust him around Kurt as much as they do. Clearly, he didn’t follow the basic protocol.

“Kurt!” he yells when nobody’s getting the door another two minutes later. He knows that it takes a while to get to the front door but he can’t wait. “Burt, Carole, anyone, please!”

He’s tried Kurt’s phone, of course, but he figures Kurt is in no state to answer it.

He dials his number again, praying that Kurt maybe really just did mean he was going to call him back, that he had a legitimate reason for hanging up on him-

“Blaine.” He looks up and finds Burt behind the glass door, looking and sounding exhausted. He’s holding the intercom button. “Kurt’s not well.”

“I figured,” Blaine says miserably. “I just-”

“What did you do?” Burt interrupts, eyes piercing into Blaine’s. “I thought you were still upstairs. What happened?”

Blaine gulps, tears spilling over.

“We kissed!” he cries out. “I didn’t mean to- to hurt him, or to even-”

Burt’s runs a hand over his face.

“Please leave,” he says.

“What?!” Blaine asks, horrified. “No, I swear-”

Burt gives him a pointed look. “Blaine, you can’t come in. Kurt’s sick. He’s not even awake anymo-” He breaks off, clears his throat, avoiding Blaine’s eyes. “Look, Carole’s tending to him, and she’s a very good nurse, it might be fine. I promise to update you. But I’m not letting anyone in, it’s dangerous enough already for Kurt to have Carole and me around.”

Blaine tries to find words to defy Burt’s logic, to grant him a way to see Kurt right away, to make sure that he’s okay and be at his side – but he knows it’s hopeless, and that Burt’s right.

“I…” He breaks off, sobs, gives Burt the most sincere look he can manage through his teary eyes. “I am really sorry, so sorry, I-”

“I know you are, son,” Burt says, shaking his head sadly. “I need to check up on Kurt. Go home and try to stay calm.”

“I can wait right-”

“You’re doing nobody any favors by standing outside catching a cold, Blaine.”

“I’ll be at my window, then,” Blaine says stubbornly, wiping the tears from his cheek. “Maybe you can put me on the phone at least?” Burt opens his mouth – to shut the request down, no doubt – but Blaine’s quicker, adding, “ _Please_ , Mr. Hummel. I _need_ to know what’s going on. I won’t forgive myself if… if…”

He can’t say it, he just can’t.

“Right.” Burt sighs. “Talk to you in a bit then.”

Blaine nods, trying to calm his breathing, and Burt takes his finger off the intercom.

With one last look, double-checking that Burt will keep his word, Blaine rushes off to his house, ignores his parents’ worried questions when he comes in looking wrecked and panicked, and hurries upstairs to his bedroom window.

Once he spots Kurt lying on his bed, unmoving, a frantic Carole giving him an injection, it’s like a wave crashes down over him.

What if Kurt’s health is forever compromised? What if Kurt never wakes up? What if the best thing he’s ever had is ripped from him by a moment of misguided judgment? He shouldn’t have let Kurt kiss him, he shouldn’t have left after. He shouldn’t have gone all the way to the mall. He shouldn’t have make Burt come all the way down to the front door – what if Kurt had collapsed right then?

Blaine berates himself, sobs uncontrollably while simultaneously trying to keep tabs on what’s happening, though he can barely see through tear-filled vision. His body sags against the window and he feels weak and useless.

Keeping close watch but feeling like he’s miles and miles away, Blaine’s heart breaks into tiny, wrecked pieces.

Kurt doesn’t stir, lies there almost peacefully, blissfully unaware of Blaine’s breakdown.


	19. Talk

Kurt’s eyes open for the fraction of a second before he shuts them again with a groan. Too much light everywhere.

“Kurt! Kurt, can you hear me?”

“Yeah, dad,” Kurt mumbles, blinking furiously to get used to the brightness. “What… ugh.” He squints, spots his dad sitting to the left of his bed, Carole standing behind him in full nursing gear. “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on is you were out cold for a little more than a week,” his dad says brokenly. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, buddy.”

“A week?!” Kurt asks.

Burt leans in close, careful not to touch Kurt. “I am so thankful to have you back, Kurt. I was so worried.”

“We were both scared,” Carole pitches in, squeezing Burt’s shoulder. “You had a very bad fever, it knocked you out almost instantly. But you’re a fighter, Kurt. Thank goodness for that.”

“I’m sorry you were worried,” Kurt whispers.

He lets his dad and Carole fuss over him for a while, going over the usual post-illness protocol. They take his temperature, test his blood levels and give him water and medication. Kurt tries to concentrate on his typical breathing exercise, wiggles all his toes and fingers one by one to regain control over his body.

It’s been a long time since he’s been this sick, he had such a good streak going.

“What happened…?” he asks. “What could have-” He blinks again, slower this time. It all comes back to him, the kiss, the phone call. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” His dad raises his eyebrows at Kurt’s grimace. “Oh.”

Kurt closes his eyes. “Fuck.”

“Kurt.”

“I don’t give a damn about language right now, dad.”

“Not what I’m Kurt-ing you about,” Burt says, pinching his nose slowly.

“A lecture, then?” Kurt sighs. “I know what I did was stupid, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Well, yes, but mostly I’m worried about what I have to tell you next.”

Kurt frowns. “Dad,” he says warningly.

“Kurt,” his dad says again, clearly trying to stay stern. “It’s about Blaine.”

“What about Blaine, dad?” Kurt asks in a matching tone.

His dad is silent for a second but at Kurt’s glare, he says, “He’s not coming over here again again.”

“Are you _insane_?!” Kurt yells, sitting up a bit too quickly. “Ouch.” He waves his hand in his dad and Carole’s direction. “Get off me! What do you mean I’m not seeing Blaine again?”

“Kurt,” his dad says weakly.

“Don’t ‘Kurt’ me again!” Kurt says, tears welling up in his eyes. It’s too bright, he’s confused, and he longs for Blaine. “I want to see Blaine. In person, I mean.”

“Kurt, he got you sick.”

“Not on purpose!” Kurt cries out. “It wasn’t even his fault, I kissed _him_!”

“Well, no matter whose fault it was, it got you sick, so-”

“So you’re telling me I can’t see Blaine because I might die,” Kurt spits. “Lovely. Just lovely.” He crosses his arms. “You know what, dad? If I had the chance to go back in time, I would do the same thing all over again. It was amazing, and I don’t regret it one bit.”

“And that’s exactly why he can’t be here. For now, I mean. Until we get you a proper match for a bone-marrow transplant,” Burt says, sighing. “Kurt, I know you’re young and in love and it feels like that’s the most important thing in the world right now.”

“Dad, I’ve been trapped in the same house for my whole life, every day the same routine.” A tear escapes as he looks at his dad. “Blaine’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I never thought I could even have something like what I have with Blaine. For the first time I feel like I’m not limited by this stupid genetic disorder, and now you’re telling me-” He breaks off, swallows another rush of tears. “You’re telling me that I am. Limited. Not normal. A freak.” He shakes his head. “Oh, wait, until I get my transplant. Like that’s happening anytime soon. It’s only been 17 years!”

His dad looks at him, conflicted, and for a moment Kurt thinks he’s going to change his mind.

“Kurt, that’s – look, I want you to live your life without limitations.” Another pause. “But I also want you to _live_ _your life_. For you that means something different than it does for other kids, it just does.” Kurt tries to interrupt but his dad silences him. “Let me talk just for now? I know you think we’re being horrible. But tell you what – think about how Blaine felt. He was up all night crying when he saw what happened, his parents had to call a doctor because he was having a panic attack. We were supposed to update him over the phone but he couldn’t even breathe enough to listen to us tell him you were probably going to be fine.”

Kurt gasps. “He did?” he asks in a small voice. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine now. We’ve all had a week to adjust… and now it’s your turn.”

Kurt finds himself at a loss of words. “Dad, how do you expect me… I mean… I don’t-” He breathes in slowly, tries again. “You’re telling me Blaine’s better off without me.”

“No. I think you two are in love, and it’s wonderful, but this… thing is getting in the way, and sometimes life sucks. Sometimes you have to make a tough decision for the better. For _now_.”

“You’re wrong. You _must_ be wrong.”

“Kurt… I talked to Blaine about this.” Burt purses his lips. “And he agrees.”

“No,” Kurt whispers, heart leaping out of his chest. “You’re lying.”

Carole steps closer.

“We’re hitting a dead end here. Maybe we should just let Blaine talk to him?” she asks Burt.

Burt sighs. “Yeah, we should let the boys settle this.”

“Settle?” Kurt laughs hollowly. “Apparently you’re all in agreement and my only option is to surrender.”

Nobody argues with that. Instead of getting upset, Kurt might as well hit his head against the wall repeatedly. Same difference.

“You have a few missed calls,” his father says as he passes him his phone from the desk. “We’ll leave you alone now. Holler if you need us.”

“Oh, so you’re not afraid I might die if you breathe the same air as me?!” Kurt yells after them venomously.

His missed calls are from Blaine and Rachel – who else would be calling – but he ignores Rachel’s calls and texts for now. If he texts back, she’s going to want to talk immediately, and he just needs to be in the clear about his relationship. If Blaine is going to break up with his, Kurt wants to know right now.

He dials the number and lets his rage wash through him freely. Blaine won’t know what hit him. Breaking up with him over a stupid fever. Over their first kiss, no less – the nerve of him!

Blaine picks up after the first ring, and Kurt can see out of the corner of his eye how he rushes to the bedroom window and puts his hand on the glass, as if reaching out to Kurt.

“Kurt, oh my god, you’re up,” Blaine’s breathy voice comes on the line. “Kurt, I thought- oh, I- I love you so much, I’m so glad you’re better. You _are_ better, aren’t you? Carole said you were doing a bit better yesterday, so I’m just assuming that-”

Kurt deflates in an instant. With the loss of his rage, the helplessness come back immediately.

“What are you, some kind of monster?” he asks through tears. “Who says ‘I love you’ right before breaking up with someone?”

He pierces Blaine with an icy stare all the way from his bed, and watches as Blaine’s eyebrows rise as high as his hairline.

“I- I- what?!” he sputters. “Kurt, what…?”

“You’re breaking up with me,” Kurt says as matter-of-factly as he can manage, swallowing his tears and pride. “Dad told me.”

“No, no, wait, you’re getting something wrong there,” Blaine says frantically. “I’m not breaking up with you. Obviously. I love you! But… we all agreed that waiting is the safest option, that maybe it’s best if we’re not in the same room until-”

“Donor match, yadda yadda yadda, transplant, yeah, I get it, Blaine.” Kurt rolls his eyes and lets his head sink against the pillow. He doesn’t want to look at Blaine while they go over this. “Listen. I’ve been alive 17 years. Do you know how many donors have come knocking on my door? Zero, nilch, nada – none at all, okay?! Are you telling me you want to wait a hundred fucking years for some random miracle that lets me be with you?”

Blaine sighs on the other hand. “Obviously I’m hoping it’ll be sooner. But I will wait, no matter what.”

“Yeah, well, it won’t be sooner.”

“I got myself tested, you know?” Blaine asks. “Cooper and mom and dad, too. Even Wes and David, and some of the New Directions, too.”

Kurt frowns at his ceiling. “What?” he asks.

“I will wait,” Blaine repeats. “The results are not back yet. Maybe we’re a match. Maybe _someone’s_ a match.”

Kurt shakes his head. “Blaine…”

“What? You have that tone of voice that makes me feel like a naïve kid.”

“Well…” Kurt hesitates. “I love that you’re optimistic and that you want to do this for me. But you’re not as trained in disappointment as I am.”

“I just think we shouldn’t rule it out as a possibility. You never know!” Blaine says. “And… Kurt?”

“Yes, Blaine?”

“Look at me, please?”

Kurt sits up again, and this time the gaze he fixes Blaine with is nothing but want. He’s thrilled to find Blaine looking back with the same intensity.

“I love you,” Blaine says, tracing a line on his window that Kurt suspects might be where his own face is. “And I miss you. But I’d rather have you be safe and sound with me being all the way over here than risk losing you by being close to you.”

Kurt feels warmth spreading inside of him.

“I love you, too. But you know it wasn’t just your presence that got me sick.”

“I do,” Blaine admits. “But that kiss was beyond amazing and I’m afraid I might not be able to help myself around you.”

Kurt laughs. “It was, wasn’t it?”

“Definitely.”

“But,” Kurt points out, “you’re lying. _I_ was the one who gave in, and _you_ were the one who actually left so we wouldn’t go on. You _can_ help yourself.”

“I _might_ be able to,” Blaine relents. “Because I am a lot more worried about you than you are.”

“Yeah.” Kurt bites his lip guiltily. “My dad told me you went through a pretty rough time while I was out.”

“Understatement.” Blaine ducks his head, looks up at Kurt a lot more seriously than before. “Kurt, I thought you were dying. Because of _me_. And I just left… instead of staying and making sure you were okay. I’ve never felt so helpless.”

“Please get over that,” Kurt begs. “If that’s the reason stopping you from coming over, then… don’t let it stop you, okay?”

“It’s… it’s not.” Blaine sighs. “Partly it is. But I just honestly want us to be able to do this right. We had a taste and now we know what we’re waiting for. If you look at it from that angle, it’s almost romantic.”

“Yeah, almost.” Kurt huffs. “If you’re from the Victorian age, maybe.”

“Kurt Hummel, don’t even try to tell me you’re not a Victorian age romance kind of guy.”

“Touché.” Kurt grins at Blaine despite everything. “You’re such a dork, Blaine. I can’t believe I’m in love with you.”

“Ah, but you are.”

“I’ll miss you a lot,” Kurt confesses. “But I feel better now that I know you’re not actually just staying out of my life for good.”

“Hey, I’ll be right here and we’ll talk like this, just like in the beginning.” Blaine leans against the window and puts his foot up on the window sill like he usually does when they talk on the phone for a few hours. “I’m waiting, I promise.”

Kurt closes his eyes. “Okay, good,” he finally decides. “I’m in.” After a long pause, he adds, “I’m sorry you had a panic attack. And that I put you in that position.”

“Not your fault.”

“Still.” Kurt smiles at Blaine wistfully. “Just so you know, I’m waiting for you, too.” He laughs at himself. “I mean, obviously, since I can’t leave.”

Blaine bites his lip. “Thanks,” he says half-amusedly, half-genuinely.

“You’re wondering if it’s too early to laugh out loud, aren’t you?” Kurt asks, rolling his eyes.

“Nuh-uh, I _know_ it’s too soon.”

“Go ahead, though.”

Blaine shakes his head.

“Blaine, just do it,” Kurt says, pretending to be exasperated. “Or do I need to crack more jokes at the situation?”

Blaine waves his hand so-so. “Maybe.”

“Hm, let’s see. I’m stuck with you.”

Blaine merely cracks a smile. “Meh, not good enough. Plus, you’re stuck _without_ me, isn’t that the point? Hate to burst your bubble that was a half-assed attempt.”

Kurt pouts. “But, Blaine, my bubble is all I have.”

There’s a second of silence before Blaine throws his head back and dissolves into giggles.

“You had that one coming,” Kurt comments wryly.

Even if he can’t meet up with Blaine anymore, he feels as close to him as ever.


	20. Underline

Kurt was right when he said Blaine wasn’t trained in disappointment: All test results indicate that there is no successful match for Kurt. It’s almost more upsetting for Blaine than it is for Kurt, who merely shrugs and says, “Figures.”

Deep in his heart, Blaine was convinced that he could be Kurt’s match, had harbored that little shred of hope ever since he learned about Kurt’s condition. He wanted to come in and save the day, be Kurt’s knight in shining armor, no matter how clichéd it would have been.

In the end, it’s not Kurt who talks him through the crashing disappointment, but Burt, who comes over to Blaine’s house a few days after the results come in. Blaine has a feeling that Kurt sent his dad on a mission after he was unable to cheer Blaine up at all.

“Blaine, you’ve turned Kurt’s life around already,” he tells Blaine right away. “Not in _this_ way, but you’ve done more than others could and would have in your situation.”

Blaine sighs. “I guess I was just hoping for a miracle.”

“Well, maybe the lesson here is that there simply are no miracles. But I know for a fact that there are miraculous _people_. People like you. People who don’t give up, who stick around no matter what. And you’re doing just that. Kurt is really lucky – well, _we_ are really lucky to have you.”

“Mr. Hummel…” Blaine is a bit speechless. Burt had been more than impressed when Blaine offered to stay away and not come over until his SCID was cured, but Blaine had no idea he had grown that fond of him.

“Burt,” Kurt’s dad says. “How many times more? Just call me Burt.” He puts his hand on Blaine’s arm. “I feel utterly helpless sometimes, too, you know? I lost my wife to cancer, and I can’t lose Kurt to SCID. I can’t, and I won’t. SCID won’t push the Hummels around. As far as I’m concerned, you’re part of the Hummels now. So… we’re here for you, Blaine. We’ll deal with this together. You in?”

Blaine straightens his back. “Absolutely… Burt.”

It gets better after that. While it is absolutely devastating not to be able to see and be with Kurt like they used to, he is more determined than ever to make a change. He starts a rally at school, campaigns for blood donations and bone-marrow transplants – a cause that even Karofsky joins because he lost a family member to cancer.

So, Blaine might be a wide-eyed optimist with the occasional low blow, but he won’t compromise his optimism for the immobility of pessimism. At least he’s doing _something_.

His hard work pays off eventually, not in the way he thought it would, but in a way that truly feels miraculous.

Blaine wakes up to his phone ringing with a call from Kurt early on a Monday morning. As he sleepily says hello he doesn’t suspect that the next words out of Kurt’s mouth are going to be life-changing.

“Blaine! I’m going to Italy!”

Blaine bolts upright in his bed and looks at Kurt jumping up and down excitedly in his own bedroom.

“It’s not April’s Fools, right?” Blaine asks groggily, just to make sure.

Kurt laughs and shakes his head. “It’s January, Blaine.”

“Still…” Blaine blinks a few times to process the news. When he finally does, he jumps out of bed and is at his window in about a millisecond. “Oh my god, Kurt!!! How?! When?! And… what???”

“All excellent questions,” Kurt replies breathily. “I don’t even know how to explain it without dying of excitement. Uhm…” He turns around and grabs his laptop from the desk. “I’m just gonna forward Rachel’s email.”

Blaine’s too confused to question what role Rachel has to play in all of this but his excitement increases when he reads her email.

“She got a donor and the transplants are working?!” he asks. “But I thought she was getting gene therapy soon…?”

“Read on.”

“She’s giving you part of her campaign donations and her spot in Italy as a late Christmas present…? Wow!”

“Her GoFundMe always got a lot more attention than my attempts because her dads are very involved in the Broadway community and they have a good network,” Kurt shakes his head fondly, cheeks pink. “I used to be so jealous of that.”

“Wait, what’s this underlined part in the email?” Blaine asks as he scans more of Rachel’s wordy message. He catches his name every now and then.

“Oh, I took the liberty of underlining the part you will probably be surprised by most,” Kurt says with a wide, dimpled smile that piques Blaine’s curiosity.

“More surprises?” he asks, eyebrows raised.

“Read it,” Kurt urges him.

_Also, a huge THANK YOU is in order because you will not believe who my donor is!!! A certain Wesley Montgomery, who apparently used to go to school with Blaine? He tells me Blaine motivated a lot of people from school to get tested for matches when you were sick (Kurt, he is such a keeper – well done, you!), and while none of them were any matches for you, Wes is a perfect match for me!!! My dads said they would let me give up the spot in Italy for you once the transplants show first signs of success, and well, here we are! I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier but I figured the enormity of the surprise would make everything worth it. :)_

_So, please, tell Blaine I am so, so thankful for what he did and I can’t wait to actually meet you both IN PERSON sometime this year!!!_

Blaine doesn’t think he’s ever been this speechless.


	21. Variation

Dear Blaine,

This is an interesting variation of our usually-so-creative ways of communicating. Emailing. Feels a bit retro, don’t you think? And also weird – not seeing you while we text, I mean. But it’s 2am in Lima and you’re probably asleep, and I desperately need to update you: The doctors say it’s working!!! My dad keeps overthinking everything and asking about long-term complications like cancer – I’m surprised _he_ hasn’t been admitted yet, I swear these stress levels are not good for his health. But honestly, I’m pretty optimistic (I must have caught that from you, you heroic boyfriend). I know that’s not a medically sound opinion but I’ve been reading up on gene therapy and most of the treatments are successful.

So… I feel good, and I can’t wait to see and actually touch (!!!) you. Like, that’s going to be a thing. A thing I will be able to do! I want to go on walks, Blaine. Maybe you can show me around town? Let’s go get dinner! And to the movies! I want to take you _out_! Wouldn’t that just be so amazing?! … I can feel the pain killers kicking it so I’ll stop before this gets too embarrassing.

Love,

Kurt

 

* * *

 

Dear Kurt,

I am so so so so so happy to hear from you – email, call, smoke signal or whatever. I was going crazy over here, though your dad keeps updating me, of course. But you’re right, he’s very careful with his phrasing, so I wasn’t sure how good things really are. I’m glad you’re feeling well enough to actually be on your computer and think of me!

Did you just ask me on a date? Like, outside? If so --- thank you, painkillers, and also, YES, a thousand times yes! I won’t write them all down but pretend this email is just full of yes’es, okay? Wow, looks like I’m still going crazy. :D But I just can’t wait for you to come home!!!

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your progress. Take it easy, okay? Listen to your doctors, and don’t give your dad a hard time, he’s just super worried about you (as am I). Tell him I said hi. :)

I love you so much,

Blaine

P.S. My brother wants you to know he’s totally available to portray your life story in a biographical movie. I already told him you’re working on a musical but he says to tell you anyway, in case you change your mind. (I am infinitely sorry for him.)

 

* * *

 

Dear Blaine,

of course I’m thinking of you, and I don’t need to be well to do so. Honestly, the nurses are sick of me telling them about you. ;)

Yes, it’s a date, and it’s going to be outside (ish, because I’m still hoping to make out with you in the back row of a movie theater, and that’s dark and not outside at all)!

Thanks, and now stop fussing because I AM BEING RELEASED NEXT WEEK THURSDAY!!!!!!

I love you too,

Kurt

P.S. Lol, Cooper’s such a hoot. Tell him I said hi.

P.P.S. Okay, now I’m blushing. Didn’t realize my dad was _not_ napping on the chair behind me but fully awake and able to read what I was writing. The making out is cancelled. CANCELLED.

P.P.P.S. Actually, I don’t care, we’re still making out. Sorry, dad.

 

* * *

 

Dear Kurt,

Welp. Now I’m blushing too. My eyes can never unsee any of what you just wrote. Like, HELL YES to the making out, HELL FUCKING YES to you being released next Thursday, and OMG WTF NO to your dad reading the whole thing, what is wrong with him?!?!?!?!

(But still HELL YESSSSSS to the making out. Come home already, will you???)

ILY,

Blaine


	22. Width

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for making you wait, lovelies! Life left me no time at all to even think about using my laptop for something other than work. But these are the last three chapters, anyway, and I'm posting them all at once. Enjoy! :)

**WIDTH**

“Where’s Blaine?”

“Over there staring at the arrivals board like a man possessed.”

“Figures. Hey, squirt, you’ve got that look on your face like when you were little and tried candy for the first time.”

“Haha,” Blaine says good-naturedly, not even turning around. He doesn’t want to take his eyes off the list of arrivals, according to which the plane should touch Ohio ground in about two minutes.

Cooper and Wes might have been teasing him all day long but nothing can annoy him today: Kurt’s coming home.

It’s been two months since Kurt and his family left for Italy. Blaine barely remembers how he got through those when it’s so hard counting down the minutes now. In a few minutes, Kurt will be waltzing through those sliding doors in the arrival hall, and Blaine will finally be able to hug him for the first time.

“Blaine.” Wes appears at his side after another ten minutes of waiting. “We’re going to get some coffee, do you want some as well?”

Blaine shakes his head. “No caffeine, I’m jittery enough.”

“True dat,” Wes agrees teasingly, putting an arm around Blaine’s shoulder. “You know, being in love really suits you. I’m happy you’re happy.”

Blaine’s been smiling all day but now his smile stretches even wider. “Wes,” he says, leaning his head on Wes’ shoulder. “I can’t ever thank you enough as it is, you should stop sweet-talking.”

“Oh, I was aiming for a lifetime of gratitude so that when we’re grey and old, I can hit you up and be like, ‘Hey Blaine, hey Kurt, remember when I helped you guys out that one time? I’m gonna need your help robbing a bank because my pension plan sucks.’”

Blaine laughs. “Surely Mr. Prospective Harvard Law Student is going to have a pension plan better than that.”

“Well, maybe I’ll just be plain bored.” Cooper motions for Wes to come with him, so he squeezes Blaine’s shoulder and says, “I’m gonna take off, but you can stay here pretending to think about my offer when really you are thinking about making out with Kurt all day long and then you can do just that and forget all about me anyway, so-”

Blaine pushes Wes off him with a giggle. “Just go, you dork.”

The two head off to the nearest coffee shop, leaving Blaine to scan the arriving crowd some more. The plane landed a while ago, so any second now-

“Blaine!” The doors reveal Kurt, excitedly tugging his luggage behind him, a tired-but-happy-looking Burt and Carole in tow. “Oh my god, Blaine!”

Blaine’s face almost splits in two with the width of his smile now, and Kurt’s wearing a matching elated expression.

He still can’t believe that Kurt’s out here, among people. To be monitored closely for a while, of course, but out among people and not threatened by instant infections.

But when he remembers that this means he can actually, finally, wrap Kurt up in his arms, he starts running.

Kurt all but jumps into his embrace, and Blaine marvels in the sensation of having his boyfriend right _there_ with him, soft but solid, engulfed in a tight hug.

“Kurt, I missed you so much,” he breathes out in Kurt’s hair.

Kurt detaches himself but keeps their hands linked.

“This is the first time we’ve hugged,” he tells Blaine with a giddy smile.

“It is,” Blaine says, gripping Kurt’s hand firmly because he cannot possibly imagine letting go of him right now. “It’s also the first time we’ve held hands.”

Kurt beams at him, eyes sparkling. “How about a second time?”

They hug again. Blaine faintly notices that Burt and Carole slip away, muttering something about “getting a coffee” – code for giving them privacy, Blaine realizes.

“I want to do something else… for the second time,” he admits to Kurt quietly. “Actually, so many times that we lose count eventually.”

He doesn’t even have to wait for an answer before Kurt tilts his head just so, playfully pulling Blaine in by the strings of his sweater to connect their lips.

Blaine loses count within five minutes.


	23. Year

**YEAR**

“Dad, I’m fine, I swear.”

“Okay but the slightest sign of complication and you press the button. Where do you keep the beeper?”

Kurt rolls his eyes. He holds up the little device to show his dad before he clips it onto his belt.

“On me at all times,” he tells him. “I assure you it’s going to be fine. I’ve been fine for three weeks of limitless contact.”

“Well, it’s a public school,” Burt argues. “You don’t know it yet but places like that? Covered in filth.”

Blaine slips off the kitchen stool and sets down his empty glass of milk. “I can vouch for that,” he says. “But I’ll keep close watch, Burt. Promised.”

“I trust you both,” Burt says. He still looks at Kurt like he is going to break most days, but to his credit, he does agree to a lot of experiments, and he’s getting increasingly better at letting Kurt go. “First day of school, son. Ah, camera! Where is it?”

“Dad!” Kurt complains. “I don’t want a first-day-of-school picture at 17, that’s just sad.”

Blaine shakes his head as he takes Kurt’s hand. “Come on, be nice,” he whispers in his ear. “Maybe _he_ wants a first-day-of-school picture to remember this?”

As always, Blaine has some sort of spell on Kurt that makes him comply instantly.

“Alright,” he huffs out, and suppresses a laugh as his dad practically sprints off to get his camera. “At least I’m not wearing braces or a horrible 90s haircut.”

* * *

It’s a thrilling moment when Kurt finally introduces his two best friends in person.

“Blaine, meet Rachel. Rachel, meet Blaine.”

To nobody’s surprise, they hit it off instantly. Blaine is so charming that Rachel declares she wants to be on the same stage as him one day within two minutes of meeting him, and Rachel’s insane stories makes Blaine laugh so hysterically that Kurt has to hand him a tissue every now and then.

They drift off marathoning old episodes of Smash, Rachel snoring softly into Kurt’s left ear where her head is perched on his shoulder, and Blaine’s head in Kurt’s lap, humming softly with every stroke of Kurt’s fingers through his hair.

Kurt’s still wide awake but he’s barely following the story on screen. He’s got a lot more interesting things to think about, and they’re right next to him.

* * *

If attending the graduation ceremony in gown and cap and listening to Blaine’s valedictorian speech were far-fetched dreams a while ago, Blaine’s family driving them to New York City to go apartment hunting is even wilder.

Pam Anderson is driving, chatting away without pause about how much they’ll love New York, while Blaine’s dad says, “But not the apartment rates,” every two or three minutes, which has Blaine rolling his eyes so hard Kurt’s afraid they might get stuck there. Even Cooper joined their little road trip and tells everyone that he considers himself an expert in the field ever since he portrayed a realtor in a short film. Blaine just flops his head back at that point.

Kurt grins to himself and leans close to Blaine.

“Come on, be nice,” he reminds him quietly, smug to be able to turn the tables for once. “One, they’re doing us a favor, and two, we’re going to explore the Big Apple in a few hours.”

Blaine inches closer to put his head on Kurt’s shoulder. “I’d rather be alone with you, though.”

“Plenty of time to do that once we live there. We’ll be there for four years at least.”

“Can’t wait.”

Kurt smiles down at Blaine and kisses his hair. “Me neither.”

* * *

“There?”

“A little bit to the right,” Kurt says squinting. “Ah, no, stop. A bit to the left again. Yeah, that’s – no, wait.”

“Kurt,” Blaine groans, turning to face him while simultaneously attempting to keep the panels upright on the wall. “My arms are starting to hurt.”

“Hey.” Kurt pouts. “It was _your_ gift, don’t you want it to look nice in our apartment?”

“Honestly? I’m honored you even want to put this up at all, considering that we actually live in New York now.”

“Well, it’s not like we can go see Times Square every day all the way from Bushwick.” Kurt shrugs. “Besides, you did an amazing job with it.”

Blaine flushes with pride, and Kurt steps closer to help him keep the panels straight.

“Like this is perfect,” he says when it’s in the right place.

“Totally agree,” Blaine mumbles, eyes nowhere near the panels as he leans in for a kiss.


	24. Zone

**ZONE**

Blaine watches Kurt put on three different suits, each with twice as many different ties, before he steps in to intervene.

“Okay, Kurt, stop.” He laughs. “You looked great in every single one of them. No need to add more choices to the list.”

“Easy for you to say,” Kurt complains, throwing Blaine a half-jealous, half-admiring look. “You’re rocking that checkered suit and bowtie like they were made for you. I’d look ridiculous like that and you just look – sexy.” Blaine grins at him. He likes it when Kurt calls him sexy. Kurt groans. “See, now you look even better with that smirk on your face! Unfair.”

Blaine strikes a mocking pose. “Well, not everyone can have such good genes.” He halts in his movement and grimaces. “Jeez, I sound like Cooper.”

“Also, excuse you, Blaine – my genes had therapy, they’re better than ever,” Kurt points out.

“I would hope so,” Blaine says sincerely.

Apart from a small scare last July, when Kurt reacted quite badly to a bee sting and had to be hospitalized for a week because the doctors were worried his SCID was making a comeback, Kurt’s health has been superb.

Kurt fusses over the suit choice for another few minutes, until Blaine tells him that he definitely looks the most dashing in the maroon one. They’re running a bit late as it is, and even though Kurt can definitely afford to be fashionably late to most events, for this one it would be most inconvenient. It is his show, after all.

There’s more panicking in the cab.

“The critics are going to shred it to pieces.”

“No, they’re not. You’ve done a brilliant job, Kurt. The cast is amazing, the stage looks  incredible, the test runs went well. Rachel thinks so, too. Right, Rachel?”

“It was brilliant. I mean, they _do_ say that the dress rehearsal has to go badly for the premiere to go well, but-”

“Thank you, Rachel,” Blaine cuts her off with a deadly glare.

The red carpet still feels unfamiliar to Blaine. They’ve had their fair share of them – Rachel’s dads numerous shows and parties, Blaine and Rachel’s shared Broadway debut, Kurt’s debut following shortly after, and then their various other productions – and yet, he always feels like he is walking down the street naked, anxious to see whether people will throw praise or tomatoes at him.

But the crowd seems to love them. Broadway fans are lined up to see the premiere of “Soothing Chords in Daydreams,” a show which Blaine still can’t believe they finally made happen. Ten years in the making, an idea that started in Kurt’s childhood bedroom, is now advertised on billboards throughout the city.

“I’m so proud of you,” Blaine tells Kurt once they’ve made it through interviews and photo ops. “You’re amazing.”

“Well, Mr. Composer, you contributed your part,” Kurt mumbles feebly, still very obviously nervous. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“Wasn’t it you who said composing was easy?” Blaine teases.

“Not Tony-winning composing, just simple arrangements,” Kurt defends himself but he gives Blaine an amused grin.

“Well, I’m proud of _us_ , then,” Blaine decides as they join a few of the cast members. “Wow, Unique, you’re gorgeous – that dress! And Mason, you look amazing! Looking forward to seeing you both shine tonight.”

Half an hour later, they’re seated in the front row, surrounded by friends and family, who all keep wishing them good luck as if they’re the ones on stage.

What Blaine doesn’t tell anyone is that he can use the luck for something else tonight. He steals a glance towards Kurt, who zoned out of all conversations around him a while ago, only barely keeping from biting his nails in anticipation. Blaine stops him by linking their hands. Kurt shoots him a mixed look of embarrassment and gratitude, then darts in to kiss Blaine’s cheek.

Ten years in the making, and Blaine’s still as in love as ever.

He really hopes that Kurt will say yes later.


End file.
